SENTINELCELTS

Morning,all.

Last night saw one of the game’s great clubs visit our own great club,and what a show was on offer. We started the game like a bullet from a gun, with Kühn going on one of his runs across the edge of the area before firing it low into Neuer’s bottom corner-after only 25 seconds! Sadly, Idah had strayed into the keeper’s line of sight, and it was rightly ruled off. 

Even more sadly, that was about as good as it got for us in the first half! 

I didn’t check the first half stats, but they would have been heavily in favour of Bayern. They were passing us off the pitch, while all we could do in response was pass the ball off the pitch. Backs to the wall stuff for the entire remaining 44 minutes. And just when it looked like we were gonna go into the break on level terms-we lost focus and lost a goal. 

How simple and straightforward it was too, and therefore completely avoidable. A simple enough long ball to the edge of the area on our left. Olise-who only a few years ago was playing for Reading!-picked it up and tried to cut inside Taylor. Instead,it ricocheted back to his right foot and he simply slammed it into the net! Seven bloody seconds before the break anaw!!!

Still,we had another 45 minutes to either endure or come up with an equaliser. Instead, our old failing at corners reared its ugly head again. Who leaves Kane unmarked in the six yard box,ffs? Simple answer to that one is-our defence, that’s who! He certainly didn’t need to be asked twice, just fired it into the net as he has done now for years. I mean, this is basic stuff, Celtic. As is keeping your concentration when you have just lost a goal. Again, we lose them in clutches. Even with the HT break to consolidate. 

Quite honestly at that stage I was fearing a doing, considering how the match was going. We couldn’t get our foot on the ball, string a few passes together, create a chance. Bayern were doing it for fun. And clearly having fun too. And then, about ten minutes into the half, a potential lifeline. A lengthy VAR check for a foul by Upemecano on Engels. A stamp on the foot. The referee was called to his monitor-and we know how this usually plays out. Well, usually. Not this time. Referee stuck with his original decision. 

In truth, I didn’t see anything to claim for, not until I saw the replay. I think we had a very good case, and can feel bloody hard done by on this one. It did seem to galvanise us into some action though, and not before time. A few minutes later, Taylor was off for Schlupp and Jota came on for Idah-replacing Maeda on the left, who moved into the central role. The Bayern CBs, about four metres tall the pair, must have thought their work was done for the night, just this tiny wee fella to concern us, haha. Well, the joke’s on them. 

For starters, Upemecano was way short with a pass back. Daizen doesn’t need much of an opportunity, and he’d been waiting all night for this one. He robbed Neuer and rounded him, but took it well wide in the process. In fairness, he was probably hoping for a rash challenge-I know I was! His effort squirmed along the line to safety. 

Next up from the bench was Yang for Kühn, who had persevered without much to show for it. I admit to liking the wee fella, but I don’t think he is at his best on the right. And he’s only 22yo,give the lad a chance! No matter, he poppped up a couple of minutes later as a stramash developed from a corner. His shot was probably sliding past, but Maeda stuck the nut in it and diverted it from close range into the net. 

1-2 and game on! The crowd surged back into life, the players surged back into life, and now it was Bayern holding out. What a turnaround, but the job only part done. We needed the equaliser, for sure. We definitely threw everything at it, Bayern being rocked but not rolled, Kane being flattened. 

AJ took a belt from the edge of the box. Had it gone in, it would have burst the net on its way to raising the roof! It was not to be, as Neuer parried it away for yet another corner. The ref gave us another seven minutes with which to find it, but the equaliser simply would not arrive. It wasn’t to be our night after all.

I can’t grudge Bayern their victory, given their performance for most of the game was miles better than ours. But I doubt they’d have grudged us that equaliser, given the effort we put in to find it. And to keep the score down at the other end! This was a very very good side we took on, and we acquitted ourselves well. But the scoreline doesn’t lie, and neither do the stats. We simply lost to a very good side. 

We can hold our heads high after the whistle was blown, for there were no failures. Every player gave it all they had. In the end, just as we feared, they had more. 

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Above article by BMCUWP