Can Celtic cause a shock in Munich
Bayern Munich v Celtic preview
Bayern Munich lead 2-1 after what was an entertaining first leg in Glasgow
After edging past Celtic with a 2-1 victory in Glasgow last week, Bayern Munich will be eager to confirm their place in the Champions League last 16 when they host the Scottish champions at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday.
Vincent Kompany’s side were forced to defend for long spells in Saturday’s goalless draw with Bayer Leverkusen, though they remain eight points clear at the top of the Bundesliga. This contest, however, is expected to be a different affair, with Bayern likely to dominate on home turf.
Celtic, meanwhile, will be looking to spring a surprise in Munich. Brendan Rodgers’ men head into the fixture with confidence after a commanding 3-0 victory over Dundee United, which extended their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership.
Remarkably, Celtic are in the knockout rounds for the first time in 12 years and they will be determined to extend this interesting run in Europe's premier competition.
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An evolving Celtic side
The Celtic boss has told media this week that he believes Celtic have learned major lessons from their 7-1 defeat by Borussia Dortmund in match day two. At that point in the season, very few would have expected them to even reach the play-off stage.
Amongst other things, he said: "I think that's been the big learning for us from that game. You're not tight, you're not stable, you're not compact, you're not concentrated and you leave space for world-class players."
Listen to the thoughts of the Celtic boss as his side prepares for a Champions League decider against Bayern. youtu.be/HuWzgnFZgM8?...
— Super News Affiliate (@sup3rnew5affiliate.bsky.social) 18 February 2025 at 17:00
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Team news
Bayern could be boosted by the return of Joao Palhinha, who has recovered from illness. However, Alphonso Davies and Daniel Peretz are unlikely to feature as they continue their recoveries.
Kompany may opt for a few changes from the side that faced Leverkusen. Raphael Guerreiro, who offers a more attack-minded approach at left-back, could be preferred to Hiroki Ito, while Josip Stanisic may replace Konrad Laimer on the opposite flank.
In midfield, Leon Goretzka could partner Joshua Kimmich, potentially at the expense of Aleksandar Pavlovic. Further forward, Leroy Sané is in contention to start ahead of Kingsley Coman on the left wing.
Celtic, meanwhile, will be without James Forrest and Paulo Bernardo, with both players still sidelined through injury.
