Brendan Rodgers is looking forward to the challenge of facing one of the top teams in Europe when Celtic take on Bayern Munich this Wednesday night in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-off tie. But despite facing a side who have aspirations of winning this season’s UEFA Champions League, not least because the final will he held in their own Allianz Arena, the Celtic manager and his players are focused on getting a positive result in Paradise to take to Germany next week. Speaking ahead of the game, Brendan Rodgers said: “We’ve already shown progress this season before we kick a ball tomorrow night, and I’ve been really pleased with that side of it. “Over the course of the eight games, we’ve proven in this first season that there are elements to our game which are making progress. “But, of course, we’re in it for a purpose and the purpose was to get to this stage, past the eight games. So now we play probably one of the teams that will see themselves as favourites for the competition. “They’ve got wonderful talent, Vincent’s gone in there and done a really good job with some top young players and some really experienced players. ‘But I can’t wait for that because that’s what you look forward to as a coach and I know that we all as a team are looking to test ourselves and measure ourselves against an absolutely brilliant team.’ “Bayern Munich are one of the giants of the European game. They really are football royalty in terms of what they’ve achieved over many years at this level. So for us to be in a position where we can challenge them is a great marker for us. “What is important for us, is that we’re very much alive in the tie going over to Germany. I think that would be the key message for us, but we want to go and perform. “We’re not frightened to lose, that’s not what this is about. This is about going and performing, and if we can perform well, like we’ve shown in this competition, especially at home, hopefully we can get what we deserve.”The Celtic manager received a pre-match boost on Monday night with the news that Daizen Maeda will be available for the game against Bayern Munich. The Japanese forward, who has been in brilliant form this season with 21 goals already this season – the most recent being a hat-trick in the weekend Scottish Cup win over Raith Rovers (see video below) – was given a two-match suspension following his red card in the home game against Young Boys of Bern. However, a successful appeal by the club meant that it was reduced to one game, which was served against Aston Villa, meaning Maeda can play on Wednesday night. “It’s such a great bit of news that we got last night,” Brendan Rodgers said. “He’s an extraordinary player and how he’s been for us this year, not just in goals but in what his value gives to the team in terms of his pressing and his honesty to the game. “So to have that mentality and ability available was a big surprise for us but a nice surprise. “Like most footballers, they’re good people and as a guy he’s super professional. He’s in every day, he does his work and he does all the right things to prepare himself to be a top professional. ‘He trains as he plays, so he’s very intense and gives everything in his training, and then he takes that personality on to the field.’ “So he’s been an absolute joy to work with and just seeing him develop and grow over the course of the season – his ability, his finishing, but add to that the work-rate and intensity, he’s a really pivotal player for us. “The coaches do a brilliant job with him in terms of the work, and I try to inspire him and manage him and point out little things within his game, but he himself is a learner and he’s learning very well.”Vincent Kompany’s side come into this play-off tie having finished 12th in the league phase table, and they currently lead the Bundesliga by eight points from last season’s champions, Bayer Leverkusen, who they play this weekend. And it’s a Bayern side littered with top-class talents, including a number of players who played at Celtic Park when the sides met back in 2017. One player the manager is well aware of, as is everyone else, is Harry Kane. The England internationalist has scored 28 goals in 28 appearances for Bayern this season, netting two penalties in the weekend win over Werder Bremen. And he will be a major goal threat on Wednesday night at Celtic Park. “He’s absolutely brilliant. I’ve known Harry for a long time and come across him many times, and Harry’s one of those players who, until you’ve stood on the side of the pitch and you face him, you actually only really then see his level. “When you look at him now, he’s a world-class player, but he’s changed his game a bit in the last number of years, where he’s on the move more, dropping short. You see his passing, you see his abilities, but he’s also tough. “I can’t speak highly enough of him. I think he was absolutely brilliant at Tottenham, showed the same for England and gone out to Bayern and you just need to look at his goals record. So he’s a fantastic player and a good guy.” Watch the manager’s full press conference Daizen’s availability for Bayern game Atmosphere at Paradise Assessment of Bayern Harry Kane’s qualities Squad update More on the match Auston Trusty: This is what dreams are made of –
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