Bayern Munich 3 Celtic 0

Last updated : 18 October 2017 By Fat_Sam

Not the kind of result Brendan Rodgers wanted to head back to Scotland with as Bayern Munich beat his side 3-0 in the Champions League. Celtic were dominated by their hosts and struggled to put the Bayern goal under any significant pressure, especially in the first half when the first two goals of the game were scored.  Celtic's second corner kick was awarded in the 82nd minute gives you a clue where much of the game was played. Celtic did have the ball in the net on 85 minutes but was offside. Goals on 17 (Thomas Muller), 28 (Joshua Kimmich) and 50 minutes (Mats Hummels) ended Celtic's hopes of heading into the League Cup semi-final against Hibs on Saturday on the back of a win. 

C:WindowsTempphp18A6.tmpThomas Muller celebrates the opening goal (c) Steven Paston/EMPICS Sport

The German side had replaced manager Carlo Ancelotti with Jupp Heynckes following their 3-0 Group B defeat by Paris St Germain last month. This change seemed to suit the Bundesliga side who never looked in trouble at any stage. Celtic's 3-0 win away to Anderlecht in September means they are favourites to at least end up with a Europa League place after Christmas but they were simply outclassed by the German side.  And after losing 5-0 to Paris St Germain in their opening fixture, it is clear they still have a way to go to compete with the big boys on the Champions League stage.  Bayern's stadium was packed with 72,000 fans, more than 4,000 of whom were Celtic supporters making themselves heard high up in the stands. 

The travelling fans were relieved in the sixth minute when the linesman flagged when Thiago Alcantara had the ball in the net from a Robert Lewandowski cut-back, perhaps ruling the ball had already gone behind for a goal kick, although television replays showed that was not clear.  A tug on the Poland striker's shirt inside the box by Mikael Lustig moments later went unpunished by Russian referee Sergei Karasev but the visitors defence was soon breached. Craig Gordon did brilliantly to parry Lewandowksi's close-range header from a Kimmich cross but the unmarked Muller was on hand to fire the loose ball high into the net. Gordon but had no chance with Bayern's second just before the half-hour mark, when Kingsley Coman beat Cristian Gamboa again down the left and crossed for Kimmich to loop a header in from 14 yards. Moments later, Gordon saved a powerful Lewandowski drive with his left elbow and there was a feeling of doom for the Scottish champions.

Bayern's third goal was simplicity itself as defender Hummels beat Scott Brown to head in Arjen Robben's corner from the right.  It was hard day's night for Celtic. On the hour-mark Gamboa cleared a Robben header off the line, after Kimmich had fired in Bayern's 10th corner of the night, before Lewandowski guided a David Alaba cross into the net from six yards only for the offside flag to be correctly up for offside.  In the 64th minute Brendan Rodgers brought on Moussa Dembele and Tom Rogic for Leigh Griffiths and Stuart Armstrong but Bayern kept the pressure up with Gordon making saves from Robben and Lewandowski. At the other end, as Celtic rallied late on, Bayern goalkeeper Sven Ulreich beat away a Scott Sinclair drive before Hummels cleared Rogic's drive from the rebound. Sinclair curled a shot into the net after the offside flag was up, Lustig's added-time header clipped the post with Brown ruled offside anyway but Gordon prevented a fourth when he made a brilliant save from a Lewandoswki header.

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