Brendan Rodgers had mixed emotions as he reflected on Celtic’s 2-1 defeat at home to Bayern Munich.
After 10 matches it looks like this season’s Champions League adventure will end on Tuesday in the Allianz Arena, where the final will be played on May 31.
Daizen Maeda took his goal tally in this season’s competition to four, a record for a Celtic player but two preventable goals either side of half time leave the SPFL champions with the mountain of mountains to climb in the return leg.
It was almost the perfect start for Celtic when Nicolas Kuhn found the net with a trademark shot cutting in from the right in the opening 30 seconds but Adam Idah had strayed offside and was in the line of sight for Manuel Neuer.
There were warning signs in the first 10 minutes from Bayern but Kasper Schmeichel wasn’t called on to make a save with the Celtic defence well protected as Bayern dominated possession.
It was strange to see almost a complete role reversal, domestically Celtic can have 70-80% possession but against Bayern they were on the back foot for most of the first half despite fielding basically the same group of players that lays siege on SPFL opponents.
With the half-time break in sight Michael Olise proved too strong for Greg Taylor on the Celtic left, got the break of the ball then fired an unstoppable shot past Schmeichel into the net. With that the disciplined first 45 minutes was almost wiped out.
Four minutes into the second half the Celtic defenders were drawn into the goalmouth at a corner, Harry Kane wasn’t and fired home yet another goal for Bayern to leave Celtic almost needing snookers.
It did look like Celtic were going to be awarded a penalty but yet another fresh interpretation of the Laws of the Game saved Dayot Upamecanofrom punishment as he crashed in to the foot of Arne Engels.
Maeda gave the fans something to cheer in the 79th minute with a close range header but not many teams enjoy a Champions League away win in Munich, especially when Bayern have the incentive of hosting the 2025 final.
QUESTION: Brendan, you wanted to be in the tie going into the second leg, do you feel the goal back gives you that?
RODGERS: Well, it’s a big goal for us, I think. Not just a goal, but for our confidence in the game. We’ve seen in the last 20-25 minutes of the game, once we started to show more aggression in the game, then of course we were much better.
To get the goal and push like we did in the last 20-25 minutes was pleasing. We’ve got one more shot now next week to try and claw back.
QUESTION: Was there a frustration in the timing of the first goal and maybe the nature of the second goal?
RODGERS: Yeah, I think we looked like we got off to a great start. Unfortunately, it was disallowed.
We didn’t give away too much. I wasn’t overly happy with how passive we were at times. We had our triggers in the game to go and press in the right moments and we didn’t quite execute that. But still, we never gave away so much.
They obviously had possession of the ball, but I would expect that. So, to then lose the goal right on half-time, a bit of luck worked against us.
With Greg, it sort of ricochets to Michael and he scores a very good goal.
The corner, yeah, disappointed. I think that certainly one of the world’s best strikers shouldn’t be left free in the box, that’s for sure. So, we’re disappointed with that. But then you have to react.
Like you said, 2-0, they can have comfort in the game. We make the changes. We’re much better on our pressure at the top end of the pitch.
We can take the ball better. Then we started to move like we normally do. Then we get the goal and everything changes.
By the end, Bayern are happy for the final whistle. I think for a lot of our players, it’s the first time at this level. So, this season has been about getting the confidence. That last 25 minutes, they’ll feel much better about themselves going into next week.
QUESTION: Just on that, how much confidence do you think your players are going to take from the final 20-25 minutes when Bayern certainly seem rattled?
RODGERS: I just think it’s a level where it’s a real challenge because there are players, you’ve got World Cup winners there, really experienced players, top players and a lot of our guys that are playing in the Champions League for the first time. So, we’re very young in their experiences at this level.
But I thought once we started to have that aggression in our game with our pressing, especially with Daizen Maeda going up front. That sparked off our press and that’s how we normally play. Then we have that pressure in the game.
Then that disrupted their flow. We could win the ball back and then make our passes. Then we looked and we could score goals.
So, yes, we take a lot of confidence from that.
QUESTION: What’s your take on the non-penalty award?
RODGERS: Listen, if you’re Bayern Munich, you’re thinking it’s not a penalty.
If you’re Celtic, you’re thinking it’s taken so long and there was contact there. And when he comes over, we normally see those are given as penalties. So, yes, if we get that, of course, it can change the dynamic then.
QUESTION: What were you thinking so early on? It looked as if you were ahead until that offside flag went up?
RODGERS: Well, it was a great goal how we worked and switched the play and then get in. So, yes, it would have been the absolute perfect start.
And, of course, that can give you an even greater comfort so early in the game. So, sadly, we didn’t get it.
QUESTION: In terms of the degree of difficulty to try and turn this tie around now, where would you set that bar?
RODGERS: Listen, it was always going to be a big challenge for us.
We’re always going to be the underdog in this tie. You see their level, you see their quality. But for us, we hung in there this evening against a really, really top side and we gave them problems.
So, we’ll take confidence from that. We now go over next week. We’ll play in a great stadium, great pitch.
From the last 25 minutes we have shown we can play and just have that aggressive mindset in the game. We’ll have to defend well and we’re still right in the tie. It’s only a one-goal difference.
So, yes, it’s a big challenge. We know that. But it’s still a possibility.
QUESTION: Brendan, what does it say about the mentality and attitude of the team that’s two-nil down to one of the best teams in Europe? I mean, lesser teams would wilt or fall by the wayside at that point. But your team went the other way. What does that say about their mindset?
RODGERS: I think we’ve shown a spirit in this competition and a spirit and mentality that we’re improving and getting better.
And part of that is you know that you have to suffer at this level, but you have to have the ability to come back. And that’s what makes me proud at the end of the game because you can always lose at this level. Absolutely.
The quality and the opposition, especially as you go on in the competition. But what must never happen is you must never be broken. The players, we weren’t broken.
We kept going, we kept trying to play, we kept fighting. And then we got a reward for that. So it lets Bayern Munich have a think that this team, you just can’t roll them over.
They’ll be there. The spirit’s there. And if you don’t press them well, they can play. So we’ll take that attitude into our game next week.
QUESTION: Another big moment for Daizen Maeda. Were you even more delighted that that appeal went through and he was able to play tonight, just based on his contribution tonight?
RODGERS: Yeah, he’s such an important player for us.
You see that once we got the pressure on how we would want at the top end of the field, then that changes the dynamic of a game because that’s how we normally play.
So yeah, he’s got a feeling for goals. He’s all different types of goals, like you see in that one there, just a cute little striker’s header in the six-yard box. I was so happy that he was available for us.
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