Celtic came agonisingly close to pulling off a famous result in Munich, but Micah Richards believes the game changed the moment Nicolas Kuhn was substituted.
The German winger, who also scored against his other former club RB Leipzig earlier in the campaign, gave Bayern Munich major problems on the right-hand side.
He was one of Celtic’s biggest attacking threats, but his night was cut short in the 69th minute when he was forced off due to injury, with Hyunjun Yang replacing him.
After going down once, the winger did try to play on, but couldn’t, as he sat down for a second time.
Speaking on CBS Sports’ coverage of the Champions League, Richards explained why he felt Celtic lost momentum after Kuhn’s withdrawal:
“They started really well. They sat a little bit deep, then played through the lines on that transition. This is just unlucky for Kuhn. He had to come off. The game changed really when he came off. But anything good came down his side from Kuhn. It wasn’t meant to be and if you don’t score your chances, then you get punished.”
Celtic had big chances to extend their lead before Bayern’s last-minute equaliser, and Kuhn was involved in much of their best-attacking play. His direct running and link-up with Daizen Maeda caused problems for the Bayern backline, but after his departure, Bayern pushed Celtic deeper and limited their counter-attacking opportunities.
Hopefully, it’s not a serious injury for Kuhn, and he can return to the pitch soon.
Celtic face Hibs at Easter Road on Saturday, a tough place to visit, especially after a tiring Champions League outing.
