Wednesday promises to be one of those edge-of-your-seat matchups. Celtic is going to take on Bayern Munich at the Celtic Park. One of their main targets is a long-awaited return to the knockout stage of the Champions League, which is something they haven't done in 12 years; the Bavarians, with their history, are expected to perform and dominate on the field.
Follow Playing for 90 on X (Twitter).
The challenge of being a giant at home
Scottish fans know how to turn a stadium into a pressure cooker, and that could be a game-changer in this battle. Celtic comes in riding a respectable campaign in the previous phase, finishing 21st out of 36 teams. That might not seem impressive at first glance, but for a club not used to deep tournament runs, that position carries symbolic weight. Brendan Rodgers does not mince words when outlining his aim. Repeat what they did against RB Leipzig, a match where the German side got stunned by them 3-1.
The players who can tip the scale? Kyogo Furuhashi and Nicolas Gerrit Kühn. This pair brings skill, explosiveness, and most importantly, hunger in the mouths of players who know they have a shot at writing history. But is that enough to hold back a team like Bayern, which, even when shaky, still commands respect?
Between the ups and downs, what to expect?
Bayern is far from being at its peak, but who dares to doubt the Bavarian powerhouse? Vincent Kompany's team performed quite well in the group stage, taking five wins and three losses for a total of 12th overall. The goal tally is amazing, 20 goals in just eight games, led by Harry Kane with six goals in seven matches this season. And to top it all off, history is on their side as they never lost to Celtic in four matches played against this rival team: three wins and one draw were recorded.
Still, not all has been plain sailing by the Germans, as a crushing defeat to Feyenoord on Matchday 7 exposed some vulnerabilities while proving that an organized opponent can do damage. And if there's one team that thrives on its home crowd's energy, it's Celtic.
The coaches' mindset
The pre-match managers' comments reflect much about the mentality of both teams. Brendan Rodgers is not beating around the bush: "I have no doubt we can hurt Bayern. We have goals in us." This ambition then reflects a Celtic squad that believes, that wants to defy the statistics, and plans to turn home-field advantage into a shield against Bayern's superior firepower.
On the other side, Vincent Kompany is composed and also very reverent regarding the weight of the moment: "It will certainly be special for us and the fans." The Belgian coach knows that he's going out with a team which has never experienced this early elimination in this tournament. For Bayern, losing to Celtic would definitely not be an elimination but a blow to their identity as a European giant.