February 13, (THEWILL) – Bayern Munich established an advantage in their UEFA Champions League playoff first leg, defeating Celtic 2-1 at Celtic Park on Wednesday evening.
The German champions demonstrated their European pedigree with a controlled performance that positions them favourably for the return fixture.
Michael Olise opened the scoring with a remarkable strike just before the interval, sending the ball beyond the Celtic goalkeeper’s reach in the 45th minute.
The visitors strengthened their position shortly after the restart when Harry Kane displayed his finishing ability, volleying home at the far post in the 49th minute to double Bayern’s lead.
The Scottish champions refused to concede defeat, mounting significant pressure in the latter stages of the match.
Their persistence yielded results when Daizen Maeda reduced the deficit in the 79th minute with a precise header from close range, igniting hope among the passionate home supporters.
Manuel Neuer proved instrumental in preserving Bayern’s advantage, producing an outstanding save during stoppage time to deny Celtic an equaliser.
This intervention ensured his team maintained the upper hand before Tuesday’s decisive second leg at the Allianz Arena.
The winner of this tie will progress to the UCL round of 16, with Bayern now holding a slender but significant advantage.
Celtic, despite facing an uphill task in Munich, demonstrated they possess the quality to trouble their illustrious opponents.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
