THIRD place at best then for Celtic from Group B but at the very least they succeeded in giving Bayern Munich an almighty Hallowe’en scare.
Munich might have been a horror show for the Scottish Champions but they were good in Glasgow, at times frighteningly good. As the Parkhead PA playlist put it afterwards, this was a Thriller, and for just shy of three priceless minutes - as Callum McGregor nutmegged goalkeeper Sven Ulreich after some typically outstanding work by James Forrest - all bets were off and European football beyond Christmas seemed theirs with two full matches to spare.
Instead Javi Martinez popped up with a downward header from a Kingsley Coman cross – a second goal on the night for Celtic and their fans to have nightmares about. But if they keep playing like this, it soon will be.
Read more: Brendan Rodgers: Celtic looked like a 'proper' Champions League team against Bayern Munich
This was a treat from start to finish for the capacity Celtic Park crowd, but they also had cause to feel tricked by the end of it. Ulreich’s laser of a long pass might have caught Kingsley Coman ghosting into the space behind the Parkhead club’s backline, but replays showed that the rapid French winger had used a forearm to divert the ball beyond the onrushing Craig Gordon before tucking the ball into the unguarded net.
The Parkhead side had managed a goalless stalemate against these same opponents back in 2003 but true to form, the only bus being parked at Parkhead last night belonged to Bayern Munich, a fancy red motorhome-style number which was a source of some fascination for many as they arrived at the ground. Deprived of the likes of Jozo Simunovic and Erik Sviatchenko, Brendan Rodgers went with three at the back in Nir Bitton, Dedryck Boyata and Mikael Lustig, but this was less a blanket defence, more three deep-lying playmakers. Moussa Dembele’s height, bulk and pace won the day over the attributes of Leigh Griffiths for the lone striker’s role, with James Forrest looking sharp at right wing back in the absence of Patrick Roberts and Callum McGregor preferred to Tom Rogic.
Read more: Jupp Heynckes: Celtic tie was as difficult as we expected as Bayern reach the last 16 again
Celtic were delighted to see Robert Lewandowski didn’t even travel, less so that Karl-Heinz Rumenigge said he would have done if it was Real Madrid the Germans were playing. Thomas Muller and Manuel Neuer didn’t make it either, but this was a reminder of just how stellar FC Hollywood’s supporting cast is. Joshua Kimmich, Sebastian Rudy, Mats Hummels and Thiago Alcantra all dropped to the bench from the first match. In came James Rodriguez, a former World Cup Golden Boot winner, and Arturo Vidal, a man with two Bundesliga titles and four Scudettos under his belt. The suspicion was that Jupp Heynckes, the club’s venerable four-time manager, was secretly keeping some powder dry for Borussia Dortmund at the weekend.
While the party was over within minutes in Munich, last night it was Celtic who spooked their visitors with the intensity of their start. Kieran Tierney, a young man who on this form Europe’s top clubs would be crazy to allow to see out his new six-year deal, beat a man then sliding the ball wide to Forrest, who selected a perfect clipped cross to Stuart Armstrong at the far post, only for the midfielder to scuff the ball wide with Ulreich in close attendance.
Read more: Craig Gordon irked by manner of goals Celtic conceded in Bayern defeat
Bringing Dembele back into the team was a big call and there was a glimpse of what the Frenchman has to offer when he gave Jerome Boateng a chasing one-on-one but could only finish wide on his left foot. Bayern were also grateful for an outstretched leg from David Alaba which denied the striker a tap-in as Armstrong looked to redeem himself with a clever reverse pass.
It was impossible to determine for sure whether Coman had intented to use an arm as he hared onto his goalkeeper’s long pass. But he certainly gained an advantage from it. As soon as Gordon was out of the equation, he pirouetted neatly and circum-navigated the backtracking defenders to give the visitors the lead.
Read more: Celtic v Bayern Munich: How the Celtic players rated
But with Forrest taking men out of the game whenever he drove at players, and the likes of Vidal and Corentin Tolisso not taking kindly to the attentions of Scott Brown and company in midfield, it was no surprise when the equaliser arrived. Armstrong stung Ulreich’s palms, then with Tom Rogic in for the underwhelming Scott Sinclair, Forrest sneaked past a few men, and flicked the ball into the space beyond Rafinha. McGregor swept it in with aplomb, a fine moment for another player who hadn’t looked out of place.
Bayern had to muster all their Teutonic efficiency to take the lead for a second time then see the game out for their last 16 place. At full time, when cheers greeted the efforts of the losers at full time, both teams had held 50% of possession, the same amount of shots on target. Only the scoreline was lopsided. Unlike the last match, this one did deserve the Uefa hashtag #EqualGame. The result wasn’t theirs but this was still Celtic’s partypiece - a Hallowe’en thriller in which the Scottish Champions proved they can still occasionally give Europe’s top dogs the fright of their lives.
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