FIRST time round, the What Ifs had been beyond their control.
An offside flag when they thought they’d gone ahead less than 30 seconds in. A ref’s refusal to give them a penalty despite VAR urging him to think again.
They stung like hell. But there wasn’t a thing Celtic could have done to change either situation.
This time, though?
Sorry, but their Champions League exit was all their own work.
That may sound harsh after what was such a wonderful performance in so many ways. It may seem unfair given that they took one the game’s true giants down to the very last knockings of stoppage time before having their hearts ripped from their chests.
But it’s how it is.
Yes, every single player Brendan Rodgers sent out there was outstanding against one of the game’s true great.
Yes, they’d promised to be bold and to be brave and they were as good as their word.
Unlike a week ago, though, when their regrets in defeat were fuelled by the frustration of someone else’s decision, they now have to live with the memory of the quite remarkable string of misses which denied them one of THE great European results in Scottish history.
The big chances
- Callum McGregor, clear six minutes in only to blaze high and wide with Manuel Neuer exposed.
- Nicolas Kuhn, played in by Jota on 15 only to sidefoot than than smash it and seeing his effort booted off the line.
- Daizen Maeda, a toecap away from reaching an Arne Engels cutback no more than 30 seconds later, then curling over with Neuer in No Man’s Land within another minute.
It was remarkable. Jaw-dropping. Sure, history is littered with examples of underdogs being presented with openings while the favourites are still dreaming about who they’ll get in the next round, but this was ridiculous.
Four golden chances in the opening 17 minutes?
Here, in this fortress? Against this lot?
Not half-chances, either, not sniffs. We’re talking clear sights of goal, we’re talking only the keeper to beat.
And the only thing more incredible than watching the Scottish champions carve their way through time again was seeing them miss and miss and miss and miss again.
Way up in the Gods of this magnificent arena, lit up in red like a boiling cauldron on the outside but a sub-zero icebox inside, the travelling thousands roared and sang and really did begin to believe that the miracle was possible.
Yet as each one of those openings slipped away, as the red-and-white legions around them breathed sigh after sigh of relief, they surely must have feared that it would all come back to bite them hard.
But as a great man once put it: Football, bloody hell.
Sixty-three minutes in, Maeda rats around to win the ball 30 yards out. He slides a pass to his right for Kuhn, but it’s half a yard short and looks easy for centre-back Minjae Kim to cut out.
Except that the Korean mistimes it, he somehow pokes it against the winger’s shins.
And he’s in.
HOW THEY RATED
Kasper Schmeichel – close to joining Bayern two years ago. Denied Kane – who had scored 19 against him – twice then saw shot hit bar before England skipper hooked. Great saves from Goretzka and Kimmich and so unlucky at winner. 9
Alistair Johnston – had a nack of being in right place at right time to make important blocks, whether in the opening moments from Gnabry or the closing stages with a tackle on Coman. 8
Cameron Carter-Vickers – up against Kane and showed good anticipation in dealing with his former Spurs teammate until he was hooked at break. Unfortunate to see attempt at a clearance come off Davies at winner. 8
Auston Trusty – blasted by Rodgers for being too soft after draw in Dundee but the big defender has reacted in the right way and barely put a foot wrong last night. Refused to be bullied. 8
Jeffrey Schlupp – loanee started ahead of Taylor for his pace and experience up against ex-Crystal Palace teammate Michael Olise. Threatened to be left exposed and was targeted by Bayern but did well in solid shift. 8
Arne Engels – these are the games the Hoops’ record signing was bought for. Great break to byline then cross saw Maeda miss by inches. Did donkey work tracking back well too. 8
Callum McGregor – great chance to repeat 2017 goal against Bayern when brilliant tackle sparked run forwards but blazed over when should have at least hit the target. Worked non-stop in inspirational shift. 9
Reo Hatate – neat touch from the Japanese midfielder freed Engels to cross for chance Maeda failed to reach. Sometimes his passing was sloppy after the break but put so much into the game. 7
Nicolas Kuhn – once a kid on the Bayern books. Took touch inside then saw shot cleared off line and might wish he’d hit it first time but made no mistake when played in by Maeda in second half. Limped off. 8
Daizen Maeda – through middle ahead of Idah. Inches from finishing Engels’ cross then fired shot over. Great energy and pass for opener after moving wide then headed at Neuer on stretch. Non-stop. 9
Jota – first Champions League start for Celtic since October 2022. Teed up Kuhn for chance and looked like Celtic’s outball option. Caught in eye by the ball and hooked for Idah on hour. 6
Subs: Adam Idah (5) the Irish striker was sent on with aim of getting a goal but was needed to help out in defence before late Bayern winner, Yang Hyun-Jun (4) South Korean was sent on for Kuhn but was a bystander and didn’t influence things too much.
A lad who grew up through Bayern’s youth system, who dreamed of playing in this awesome theatre, was in on Neuer.
This time, he didn’t miss. This time his shot was low and true – and up in the Gods, they went absolutely berserk.
It had been coming all night and finally it had happened.
Celtic, massive underdogs that they were, had pulled level.
And no one who gets this melon-twisting sport of ours could say they hadn’t deserved to.
Right then, Bayern were properly, properly rattled. They were looking at each other for answers. They’d lost Harry Kane by half-time to injury, just after he’d exploded into action for the first time by curling one against the bar.
When they did look like opening Celtic up, there was always a lunging foot – full-backs Alistair Johnston and Jeffrey Schlupp were both immense – and even if there wasn’t, Kasper Schmeichel looked in the mood to prove the hosts why they should have gone through with that deal to sign him two years back.
Sixty-three minutes became 73, which became 83. And as the clocked ticked, the one thing you feared was that, with Jota and Kuhn already off and other toiling with cramp, they’d struggle to survive another 30 minutes.
My heroic Bhoys deserved better, says Rodgers
By ROBERT GRIEVE
BRENDAN RODGERS hailed “heroic” Celtic as the Champions League dream ended in last-gasp agony in Munich.
Former Bayern winger Nicolas Kuhn looked set to take the Bundesliga giants into extra-time after a dynamic display by the Hoops.
But sub Alphonso Davies pounced at point-blank range in the final minute of stoppage time for a 3-2 aggregate win.
And Rodgers was left to lament the “cruel” exit and insist the Treble-chasers had restored the Hoops’ reputation in Europe.
He said: “It was not what the players deserved, especially right at the very end.
“They gave so much and played with confidence.
“We knew we’d have to defend but we didn’t give away too much.
“We had quality, some great moves and the best chances.
“It was a really heroic performance and we were just unfortunate at the end.
“We had to have aggression and control in our game. We got into some great positions.
“We always felt we were going to be there in the game. It was such a cruel way, not just to lose the tie but to go out of the competition.
“Our European credibility has been restored this season. That’s my takeaway.
“We have shown real quality at times. Think of the last time we were in Germany and the improvements we have made.”
Celts missed a string of chances before Kuhn skipper away from Kim Min-jae and fired past Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer.
But Davies got the final touch in the dying moments as Cameron Carter-Vickers tried to clear the rebound from Kasper Schmeichel’s ninth save of the night.
Hoops captain Callum McGregor added: “It’s probably one of the cruellest nights.
“The performance the players gave was terrific – they gave absolutely everything.
“They pushed a really good Bayern side all the way, right to the death, the last kick of the ball.
“Sometimes football is cruel and you don’t always get what you deserve.
“But I’m so proud of the players, the way they played and the way they handled themselves.
“They gave absolutely everything. They can come off the pitch with no regrets.”
Celts striker Daizen Maeda felt he’d been fouled just seconds before Bayern equalised.
But McGregor added: “We don’t want to use things like that as an excuse.
“There were little bits of the game that could have been different.
“The boys gave an unbelievable effort and I want to focus on that because the performance was outstanding.
“It’s a real sore one after coming away from home in Europe and playing like that. We can be proud of ourselves.
“When we scored, we think the game is there. The template for the game was perfect.
“It was set up for us to try and nick the next one as well. Even if we had to go to extra-time, it would be suited us.
“We have gained a lot of belief, a lot of confidence and there’s been a lot of growth in the boys as well.
“We have to bank that and continue to build on it because anyone watching that game would see a really good Celtic team.”
But they would have been due those 30 minutes. Even if they’d shipped three or four as the legs went from under them, no one could have denied them the right to still be playing that deep into the night.
Instead? Well, the goal could hardly have come any later in what we’ll call normal time but which really had been anything but.
One more ball into the box, a diving header that Schmeichel couldn’t hold, a desperate lunge to clear by Cameron Carter-Vickers that only succeeded in rattling the ball against the legs of sub Alphonso Davies and in trundled the messiest, uglist goal you’ll ever see.
But you know what?
This morning, Celtic will wake up wishing so, so much that they could have scrambled home one just as messy, just as ugly. That just one of those four golden first half chances could have trundled as apologetically into that same net.
Fact is, they came here promising to seize the day.
Only to take their hand off Bayern’s throat when it mattered most.
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