Reo Hatate of Celtic is challenged by Michael Olise of Bayern Munich during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Knockout Play-off second leg match between FC Bayern München and Celtic FC at Allianz Arena on February 18, 2025 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)
HAKUNA HATATE – 7/10 – Another grizzled display by Reo, who’s inadvertently turning into a CL holding midfielder with the defensive workrate he’s put into these big games. ‘Hell are you doing here?!’ was oft heard across the Celtic backline as the wandering Japanese popped up like the Spanish Inquisition* to assist with some timely interventions. Never quite got attacking-phase-Reo lit up, and that is a cause for regret as we’ve seen he can turn or win a game with one incisive moment of flair.
* ‘Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition.’
Jota of Celtic is challenged by Michael Olise and Josip Stanisic of Bayern Munich during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Knockout Play-off second leg match between FC Bayern München and Celtic FC at Allianz Arena on February 18, 2025 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)
NOTEBOOK – 7.5/10 – Is toast a popular German scran? I’m not sure if their big full-back will enjoy facing his in the morning because Jota had him on it all night. Uplifting moments are the George Michael forte, and ours does it with his feet rather than his voice. A buzz of anticipation in your ears drowns the background crowd noise when the ball is on his twinkletoes, with which he conjured some thrilling incidents. What will he be like when he reaches peak-fitness?
Fastlove.
Cough… Fast, love…
I thank you.
Daizen Maeda of Celtic battles for possession with Leon Goretzka of Bayern Munich during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Knockout Play-off second leg match between FC Bayern München and Celtic FC at Allianz Arena on February 18, 2025 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)
LORD KATSUMOTO – 8/10 – Daizen down the middle! We know what he’s got and even sometimes, so does he. could/should have had us ahead by half-time before the moment we were waiting for arrived and the roadrunner pounced on a lazy ball to poke in Kuhn for the fairytale to take shape. Fact is, at this level, against these teams, Daizen central is a potent strategy and the best we have for unsettling them. Retain him for another season or two and a further go at this sort of approach.
Thank you for the amazing support last night!💚🤍
We have another game coming up soon so we just need to switch gears and get ready for the next one!#championsleague pic.twitter.com/pX5tVjmzit— 前田 大然 Daizen Maeda (@M_daizen_1020) February 19, 2025
Nicolas Kuehn of Celtic celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Knockout Play-off second leg match between FC Bayern München and Celtic FC at Allianz Arena on February 18, 2025 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)
Maeda does brilliantly to set up Kühn, who steadies himself before sliding a low shot past Neuer to give us the lead!! ⚽️#UCL | #BayernMünchenCeltic | #CelticFC🍀
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) February 18, 2025
TAKINTE – 7.5/10 – Das Kuhn! It looked like a frustrating evening for our German in his homeland, but the kid’s got a Bratwurst on his shoulder about the Bundesliga bums who ostracised him too soon. And after drawing a few blanks – including that early sitter – he got a break; run timed well, defender scrambling, ball at his feet which he coolly slipped past Noncer. How sweet the schadenfreude for him if we’d pulled off the impossible. Damn the fates.
