Celtic vs Bayern Munich

Celtic Park forms the backdrop for the first leg of a handsomely-looking Champions League knockout playoff tie between Celtic and Bayern Munich.

Set to appear in the knockout stages of the Champions League for the first time since being obliterated by Juventus in 2012/13, Celtic head into proceedings seeking their first home win of this sort. Indeed, they’ve failed to win a home leg in all three previous Champions League knockout forays (D1, L2). However, Brendan Rodgers’ men will take the field in fine form after winning three consecutive matches by an aggregate score of 14-1 since a goal-glutted 4-2 defeat at Aston Villa on matchday eight. The Hoops fared outstandingly in Glasgow during the league phase, winning ten out of 12 points here (W3, D1), including a 3-1 victory against Bayern Munich’s fellow Bundesliga rivals RB Leipzig. That win snapped Celtic’s five-game run of losses against German opposition.

On the other hand, Bayern Munich bounced back from a disheartening 3-0 defeat at Feyenoord on their last Champions League road trip with a 3-1 home win against Slovan Bratislava in the league-phase finale. That triumph forms part of the Bavarians’ four-match winning streak in all competitions, with Vincent Kompany’s charges averaging three goals per game in this sequence. Seeking a 17th successive round-of-16 qualification at Europe’s top table, Bayern Munich must defy their dreadful away record in this competition this term (W1, L3) to increase their chances of ousting Celtic. However, they’ve been historically impressive against Scottish opponents (W10, D6, L3), going unbeaten on their last six visits to the country (W3, D3).