Celtic Aims To Overcome Bayern Munich In Champions League Play-Off Match

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Celtic are set to host Bayern Munich at Parkhead on Wednesday for the first leg of a Champions League play-off. Both teams lead their respective leagues, with Celtic 13 points ahead in the Scottish Premiership and Bayern holding an eight-point lead in the Bundesliga. However, their domestic success hasn't fully translated to Europe this season. Celtic finished 21st in the league phase, trailing Bayern by three points and nine places.

The Opta supercomputer predicts a challenging match, with Bayern winning 48.2% of simulations. Celtic's chances stand at 27.7%, while a draw is at 24.1%. Historically, Celtic have struggled against Bayern, failing to win any of their four previous encounters in European competitions.

Celtic have only managed one victory in their last 21 European games against former European Cup winners. Their notable win was against Feyenoord in December 2023. Despite heavy losses to Aston Villa and Borussia Dortmund, they secured a commendable draw at Atalanta and defeated Leipzig 3-1.

Nicolas Kuhn has been pivotal for Celtic, creating ten chances following carries and scoring twice in the Champions League this season. Adam Idah and Daizen Maeda have also contributed significantly, each scoring three goals during the campaign.

Bayern Munich scored 20 goals during the league phase, surpassed only by Dortmund and Barcelona. They generated chances worth 19.3 expected goals without penalties, matching Atalanta's tally. Despite leading in shots taken and shots on target, their conversion rate was just 10.81%.

Vincent Kompany's team struggled away from home, winning only one of four road matches in the league phase. A loss on Wednesday would mark their fourth away defeat this season in major European competitions.

Key Players to Watch

Arne Engels has been instrumental for Celtic with three assists from 15 chances created. His performances suggest he might attract attention from other clubs come summer. For Bayern Munich, Joshua Kimmich has been involved in more shot-ending sequences than any other player this term.

Kimmich also leads in completed passes (689) and line-breaking passes (136) for the 2024-25 season. His ability to influence play could be crucial for Bayern's success against Celtic.

Bayern Munich must execute their pressing game effectively as they have forced the most high turnovers (120) during this Champions League season, converting many into shots on goal.

Celtic will need to be cautious as they have suffered numerous high turnovers themselves (79), ranking among the top five teams affected by this issue.