The atmosphere in Munich is at fever pitch ahead of tonight’s match at the Allianz Arena where the Celts will take on Bayern Munich to see who will progress to the last-16 of the Champions League. The sides met at Celtic Park last Wednesday, with Bayern coming away with a 2-1 victory. However, the story of that match is not as clear cut as it may appear on paper, with the Hoops forcing Bayern on to the back foot in the closing stages, grabbing a vital goal and finding themselves unfortunate not to level the tie in the dying minutes. That late resurgence from the Scottish champions means that tonight’s match in the breathtaking environs of the Allianz Arena is wide open, with the Celts hopeful that they can upset the odds and depart Munich with a spot in the next round of Europe’s elite competition. And speaking to the media ahead of tonight’s match, Celtic’s No.1, Kasper Schmeichel said that he expects a tough match, but, reflecting on his vast experience, he knows that anything is possible once you cross the white line. “It would be a massive achievement, ’ he said. “If you’re able to put Bayern Munich out of the Champions League, it would certainly be up there. “We’re under no illusions, it’s going to be difficult. “But I’ve been a part of teams who have done things against the odds, so why not. “You have to leave everything out there. Pretty much everything has to go right. ‘We’re up against one of the best teams in the world, but it’s 11 versus 11, so we go out there with hope.’ “We’re in the tie. We’re not here to make up the numbers. We’re here to win and go through. “That’s definitely going to be a difficult task, but nothing worth achieving is ever easy.” Since joining the Celts in the summer, Schmeichel has proved to be a wonderful addition to the champions, and his performances in Europe and at home in Scotland speak for themselves. In the opposing goals tonight will be Manuel Neuer, arguably one of the best keepers to have ever played the game, and Bayern have their No.1 to thank for their lead coming in to tonight’s match given that he pulled off a brilliant save from a point-blank effort from Alistair Johnston late in the first leg which would have levelled the tie. And speaking about the former German internationalist’s qualities, Schmeichel was full of praise for someone he described as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time. He added: “Experience is the biggest gift you can have in this game. “If you’re physically still able, and you have a vast number of games under your belt, then it’s the biggest advantage you can have. “It’s about 19 years since I played against Manuel Neuer, and I’ve followed his career very closely. “He’s one of the best to ever play in goals. “He’s the most complete goalkeeper I’ve ever seen. He has no weaknesses, just a lot of strengths.”FixturesFC Bayern München Vs. Celtic – Tue, Feb 18th 2025, 21:00
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