On Tuesday night, Bayern Munich welcomes Celtic to the Allianz Arena for the second leg of their Champions League play-off tie. The German giants secured a 2-1 victory in the first leg at Celtic Park, with Daizen Maeda’s late goal providing the Scottish side with a slim hope of a miraculous comeback.
Celtic, runaway leaders of the Scottish Premiership, nearly achieved the perfect start in the first leg when Nicolas Kuhn’s opener was ruled offside after just one minute. However, goals from Michael Olise and Harry Kane put Bayern firmly in control. Despite this, Maeda’s instinctive finish gave Celtic a glimmer of hope heading into the return leg.
Over the weekend, Celtic thrashed Dundee United 3-0, bringing them closer to securing another domestic title. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich were held to a goalless draw against Bayer Leverkusen, failing to register a single shot on target. Although Vincent Kompany’s side suffered a setback at the hands of the reigning champions, they remain eight points clear at the top of the Bundesliga.
Bayern Munich has not lost a Champions League home game since April 2021, making the task even more daunting for Celtic.
Match Details
- Location: Munich, Germany
- Stadium: Allianz Arena
- Date: Tuesday, 18 February
- Kick-off Time: 20:00 BST / 15:00 ET / 12:00 PT
- Referee: Benoit Bastien (FRA)
- VAR: Willy Delajod (FRA)
Head-to-Head Record
- Bayern Munich: 4 wins
- Celtic: 0 wins
- Draws: 1
Last Meeting: Celtic 1-2 Bayern Munich (12 February 2025) – Champions League
Recent Form (All Competitions)
Bayern Munich
- Bayer Leverkusen 0-0 Bayern Munich (15/02/25)
- Bayern Munich 3-0 Werder Bremen (07/02/25)
- Bayern Munich 4-3 Holstein Kiel (01/02/25)
- Bayern Munich 3-1 Slovan Bratislava (29/01/25)
Celtic
- Celtic 3-0 Dundee United (15/02/25)
- Celtic 5-0 Raith Rovers (08/02/25)
- Motherwell 1-2 Celtic (02/02/25)
- Celtic 6-0 Dundee (05/02/25)
Team News
Bayern Munich
Vincent Kompany made some bold selection choices in the Leverkusen match, including giving summer signing Hiroki Ito his first start at left-back. Raphael Guerreiro is expected to reclaim his place in the starting XI for Tuesday’s clash.
Daniel Peretz and Alphonso Davies are likely to miss the second leg, but midfielder Joao Palhinha could return after recovering from an illness that kept him out of Bayern’s last three games. Leon Goretzka and Serge Gnabry are also contenders to feature.
Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1):
Neuer; Laimer, Upamecano, Kim, Guerreiro; Kimmich, Goretzka; Olise, Musiala, Gnabry; Kane.
Celtic
Neil Lennon made a few changes to his lineup over the weekend, but in-form striker Adam Idah retained his spot and added another goal to his tally in the 3-0 win over Dundee United.
Daizen Maeda will once again lead the line alongside Idah and Nicolas Kuhn. Alistair Johnston was rested during the weekend fixture. There have been no significant injury updates since last week, with James Forrest and Paulo Bernardo still unavailable.
Predicted Lineup (4-3-3):
Schmeichel; Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Taylor; Engels, McGregor, Hatate; Kuhn, Idah, Maeda.
Score Prediction
Celtic needed a positive result in Glasgow to keep their hopes alive, and while Maeda’s goal provided a sliver of hope, their task remains monumental. Their previous trip to Germany ended in a 7-1 defeat against Borussia Dortmund, and their away record in the group stage was underwhelming.
Despite Bayern’s lackluster performance against Leverkusen, history suggests they will dominate at home. While Celtic may put up enough resistance to avoid a heavy defeat, Bayern are expected to secure a comfortable win.
Prediction: Bayern Munich 4-1 Celtic
