da dobrowin： The realities facing Celtic when they visit Bayern Munich on Wednesday are stark. Going up against the German champions, they’ll play a team that have reached at least the semi-final of the UEFA Champions League in six out of the last eight seasons. Getting any sort of result is something you’d be forgiven for thinking is an impossible task.
da 888casino： However, with the Hoops finally ending a dismal run of away trips in the group stages of the competition without victory on the last matchday, is a shock result in the offing? Can Celtic use the success in Belgium as a springboard to become real contenders in Group B?
Some may regard this as something of a bonus fixture for Celtic, with the hard work already done against Anderlecht to almost assuredly finish third in the group and progress to the UEFA Europa League. With important domestic tests ahead over the next ten days too, the European trip could even be seen as a distraction if you were feeling particularly unenthusiastic about the team’s chances.
Avoiding defeat though puts Rodgers’ side in the frame to compete for second place in the group, never mind third, and that makes Wednesday night’s dream worth pursuing against all the odds.
Brendan Rodgers is certainly targeting it as a key encounter. He rested a number of first team stars on Saturday against Dundee, obviously having belief that his big performers can go into Wednesday rested and ready to give the Germans a difficult game.
The Heynckes revival
Bayern, by their standards, actually haven’t been having the best of seasons. Uncharacteristically dropping seven points in their opening seven Bundesliga games and suffering a heavy 3-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, the club rather brutally said goodbye to Carlo Ancelotti before things got out of hand. In a crisis, they’ve turned to a steady hand and a legend of the club, Jupp Heynckes.
That change in manager has come at perhaps the worst timing possible for Celtic. If Ancelotti had hung on for just a few more weeks, the prospect of facing the German giants would have been a little bit more palatable.
As it is, they’ll have to face Bayern with regained confidence and swagger. A 5-0 thrashing of Freiburg at the weekend is an ominous sign that Heynckes has the side ticking again with Joshua Kimmich, Thiago, Kingsley Coman and Robert Lewandowski all in lethal form.
Lewandowski has been the shining light for them throughout the early season, not letting anything as silly as poor team performances stopping him from racking up the goals. The Polish international has scored a fantastic 13 goals in 12 appearances so far this term.
That’s the challenge ahead.
A different animal
When you consider Celtic’s away record in the group stages of European competition, it’s unfair to burden Brendan Rodgers’ side with the sins of managers past. It’s a record that is much maligned, but since the Irishman arrived at the club, it has been much more impressive.
They’ve played four times away from home in the groups and avoided defeat on three occasions, a record that most teams on the continent would envy. It’s actually been their home form that has let them down in the competition under Rodgers.
Draws away to Borussia Monchengladbach and Manchester City represented significant progress last year, after a horror result against Barcelona. Most recently of course they travelled to the champions of Belgium and stuck three past them in a dominant victory.
Is it really beyond the realms of possibility they can do something in the Allianz Arena?
Travelling to Germany with the belief they can cause another upset on the road is something that will serve them well. Rodgers is well known for his assertion that in this competition, it’s all about belief. Celtic’s recent emergence on the European scene has been a slow process but they showed in Belgium they’re getting towards the level they need to be at to truly compete. They need to use that experience to push on to the next level, even in matches they are undoubted underdogs.
It’s true that they were awestruck by Paris Saint-Germain at Celtic Park, if they turn up again caught in the headlights of the elite it could be a long night. However, if they back themselves to make life difficult for the Bundesliga champions, making it a real battle, then frankly anything can happen.
Completely writing off Rodgers’ ability to achieve the impossible at Celtic has become folly and Wednesday could be further proof of that.