In Glasgow, Harry Kane scored for Bayern Munich as they defeated Celtic 2-1 in the first leg of the Champions League play-off. Bayern has their sights set on reaching the final, which will be held at their home stadium, the Allianz Arena in Munich, on May 31.
They dominated the first half and took the lead with a remarkable goal from Michael Olise just before halftime. In the second half, they quickly scored their second goal with an unmarked Kane finding the back of the net after a corner kick. This was Kane’s seventh goal in the Champions League this season and his 29th overall in 29 games. However, Bayern eased off the pressure, giving Celtic a chance to come back into the game.
Despite a disallowed goal from Nicolas Kuehn in the first minute, Celtic managed to score one goal through Daizen Maeda after a corner kick with 11 minutes remaining. However, they were unable to equalize and lost 2-1.
After the match, Bayern coach Vincent Kompany acknowledged the challenging atmosphere at Celtic Park but praised his team for handling it well. He also recognized the importance of the victory for the fans, who rarely see their team lose at home in Europe.
For Celtic, who suffered their first home defeat since December 2023, the task of turning the tie around in the second leg in Germany next Tuesday is a daunting one. The winners of the tie will face either Bayer Leverkusen or Atletico Madrid in the last 16. However, despite the odds, Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers remains hopeful and sees it as a possibility.
