Pundits rate Celtic’s chances against Bayern Munich

The Celtic Star

·12 de fevereiro de 2025

Pundits rate Celtic’s chances against Bayern Munich

Premier Sports caught up with Michael Stewart and Alan Hutton on this week’s episode of the Scottish Football Social Club podcast and asked both men to give their take on Celtic v Bayern Munich…

Celtic players during the UEFA Champions League Training Session at Lennoxtown on February 11, 2025 (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

The two teams face-off later on in a monumental play-off tie with a place in the UEFA Champions League Last-16 up for grabs and host Darrell Currie asked both men how they thought it would go.

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Both pundits were very fair in their assessment of how the match against the Bavarian side will pan out, with both admitting that whilst the Hoops definitely have the ability to hurt Vincent Kompany and his team, they need to have a near enough perfect defensive performance to have any realistic prospect of coming away with a win on the night.

A front four of Musiala, Olise, Coman and Kane is not to be joked at and the Bhoys cannot afford any momentary indiscretions when up against this fabulous four. Alan Hutton went first and said of the match: “100% they’ll cause problems. I mean, you just have to have a perfect night. I mean, defensively, you have to be top notch. You see the players they have, what they’re capable of on their best night as well. So I think it will be a great encounter.

Celtic players during the UEFA Champions League Training at Lennoxtown Training on February 11, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

“Celtic are definitely good enough to worry them and possibly get something out of that home tie. And that’s what you need. You need that going into the second-leg. If they can do that, keep it tight. You never know… They’ve definitely got quality to go and hurt teams. They’ve got the pace, the power. They like to control games. It’s at home. The crowd will play their part. So I’m looking forward to watching it.”

Stewart reiterated the need to be compact and defend effectively on the night, saying: “Yeah, look, your spot on,” he said in reference to Celtic needing to defend well and from the front. “The point you were making there about the front players have got to defend. Well they do. That’s where it makes it such an interesting tie because as Alan’s just touched on there, the way that Celtic play, if they hit their straps and play to their potential, they can nullify that threat. Because if they’re playing aggressively and they’re up and at Bayern, it forces the opposition onto the back foot and they can suffocate them higher up the park.

Daizen Maeda during the UEFA Champions League Training Session at Lennoxtown on February 11, 2025 (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

“Your actually then starving those front players. But it has to be pitch-perfect. You know, one player two, three-yards off, the quality of Bayern, they will pick you off. And all of a sudden, they’re driving into space behind you. So the unit has got to be so tight and so well-drilled and well-oiled, that they’re moving in unison. Pressing, shutting down. Making sure that they win that ball higher up the park. But Celtic are capable.

Stewart added: “We mentioned it umpteen times. But we have seen it already this season in Europe against some of the top teams. They are capable of playing at that level. Especially with that crowd behind them. If they are able to get a bright, fast start, then you can just imagine the atmosphere and the energy that is going to be coming down from the stands.”

"You never know. They've definitely got the quality to hurt teams." 🗣️ @mstewart_23, @darrellcurrietv and Alan Hutton on Celtic's chances against Bayern Munich tomorrow night 🍀 @McBookie
– terça-feira, 11 de fevereiro de 2025