5 reasons why Bayern Munich will progress against Celtic in the UEFA Champions League
Bayern Munich will welcome Celtic to the Allianz Arena for the second leg of their UEFA Champions League knockout play-off on Tuesday 18 February with form, star names and history on their side. bundesliga.com outlines five reasons the Bundesliga leaders can see off Celtic and make the last 16.
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1) Formidable form
What has seven W's, one D and gets longer every week? Bayern's unbeaten Bundesliga record since just before the winter break, of course. The fluency of Vincent Kompany's star ensemble has been too much for just about every domestic opponent to handle in that period. A 3-1 win at home to Slovan Bratislava saw the Bavarians end the league phase of the Champions League on the right note too, and Celtic were next in line to be beaten by this brilliant Bayern side, who recorded a hard-fought 2-1 victory in Scotland.
Although the Bavarians were held to a 0-0 Bundesliga draw by an reigning champions Bayer Leverkusen in their next outing, Kompany's men showed the kind of defensive steel that saw them turn the page on a nervy 4-3 win over Holstein Kiel with a clean sheet in a comfortable 3-0 success over Werder Bremen.
As many as 23 goals in Bayern's last eight Bundesliga encounters speak their own story, with Michael Olise continuing to breathe fresh impetus into the Bayern attack and Jamal Musiala maturing as a major goal threat this season in support of the unstoppable Harry Kane. Not to downplay Celtic's threat, but a Bayern side in sharp shape at both ends of the pitch should simply be too much for the Scottish champions at home in the second leg.
Watch: Bayern win again vs. Bremen
2) Kane - again and again
It is a fact that surely would not have escaped you by now, but for the record, Kane has been a runaway success at Bayern - with an all-time record 55 goals in his first 50 Bundesliga appearances. A pair of perfect second-half penalties against Bremen took the England striker's tally for this season up to 21, leaving him well on course to retain his Bundesliga top scorer's crown. Such are his immaculate standards that he still has his work cut out to match his incredible first season in Bayern red - when he was also crowned Champions League top scorer for the first time.
Kane fired six strikes in the new league phase - including four in a single-game goalscoring masterclass against Dinamo Zagreb. Going into the play-off three goals short of the competition's current top scorer - Serhou Guirassy of Borussia Dortmund (10 goals) - and two shy of former Bayern great Robert Lewandowski (9), the in-form striker will no doubt be looking to add to his first-leg strike and close that gap, all while helping Bayern progress one step deeper into the competition in the process.
Watch: Record king Harry Kane
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3) Premium pedigree
We may all still be getting used to the new-look Champions League this season, but one thing any football follower could attest to is that the knockout stages in the spring are not the knockout stages without Bayern. Last season's beaten semi-finalists have made the last 16 every single campaign all the way back to 2008/09. If you exclude the 2007/08 season, when the Bavarians were in the UEFA Cup (and made the semi-finals), the last time they competed in the Champions League and did not make the final 16 lies as far back as 2002/03, the season during which Musiala was born!
That is a lot more than just a proud historical fact. With players used to going far in the competition, and several members of the side that won the competition in 2020 still at the club, Kompany's men have vast knowledge of how to see out a two-legged European knockout tie. Celtic can boast no such advantage in their first appearance in a Champions League knockout encounter since 2012/13.
The fact that this year's final will be held in Bayern's very own stadium in Munich remains a tantalising prospect - and the dream of lifting the trophy at home is not one they will be willing to easily give up.
4) Room at the top
Matchday 22 provided a small but significant development in the Bundesliga title race, leaders Bayern firming up their title bid with a 0-0 draw away to Leverkusen. Given that this clash in the BayArena could well be the toughest Bundesliga test of the season for Kompany's men, the fact that they kept a clean sheet and maintained an eight-point lead over their nearest rivals - and opponents on the night - is huge.
Not only because they have inched that much closer to regaining the title, but because they have also put paid to commentary suggesting they could struggle to deal with this headline clash right in the middle of their play-off for a last 16 spot. After returning from Leverkusen unbeaten and with no new injuries, Bayern can prepare for Wednesday night's visit from Celtic in all serenity. What's more, with such a big buffer atop the domestic standings, Kompany has the freedom to field his best XI - and call on whomever he needs to - without having to worry overly about the impending Matchday 23 Bundesliga clash at home to in-form Frankfurt.
5) Few fond memories
In addition to the momentum of present form, the weight of history is firmly on Bayern's side. Celtic have not won any of their five encounters against Bayern and have now lost 21 of their 31 meetings in total against German clubs following their first-leg defeat.
A part of that history must be fresh in the minds of the Scottish champions after a 7-1 humbling at Borussia Dortmund on their last trip to Germany in October. Granted, a 3-1 win in Glasgow against RB Leipzig followed as Celtic recovered admirably from that disappointing evening in Dortmund. With Bayern scoring for fun though, with almost twice as many Bundesliga goals as the Black & Yellows this season (65 to 37 after 21 matches), the Bundesliga leaders will be confident of outscoring Celtic under the Allianz Arena lights.
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