Celtic will face Bayern Munich in the Champions League knockout stages after Friday morning’s draw in Switzerland confirmed the German giants as their next opponents.
The first leg will take place at Celtic Park on either 11 or 12 February, with the return leg in Bavaria set for 18 or 19 February.
Bayern reacted to the fixture announcement with a social media post to their 7million followers:
✨ FC Bayern vs. Celtic – #UCL magic under the lights! 🌙✨ #UCLdraw
The German side also shared an image of Celtic’s Nicolas Kühn in the graphic, who will be returning to face his former club. Kühn spent a portion of his career in Bayern’s academy before moving on, and now he’ll have the chance to step out at the Allianz Arena in the Hoops. Kuhn has been one of Celtic’s most impressive players this season, and he will clearly relish the chance to show what they missed out on.
Celtic and Bayern have crossed paths many times in Europe, most recently in 2017 when the two sides met in the group stage. Bayern won both fixtures on that occasion, with Brendan Rodgers in the Celtic dugout—just as he will be this time around.
It’s a daunting challenge for the Scottish champions, with Bayern boasting one of the strongest squads in world football. Celtic will need to be at their absolute best if they are to take anything from the tie.
UEFA SANCTIONS COULD HIT AWAY SUPPORT
However, the excitement of the draw has been dampened by potential UEFA sanctions. On Friday, UEFA handed Celtic notice of a charge due to away fans using pyro at Villa Park on Wednesday night. The club were already on a two-year probation period following a similar incident away to Borussia Dortmund earlier this season, meaning a potential away fan ban for the Munich leg is now a real possibility.
TRANSFER DEADLINE PRESSURE
Off the pitch, Celtic still have work to do in the transfer market ahead of Monday’s deadline. The club are pushing to bring in a striker following Kyogo’s departure to Rennes, while a left-back is also high on the list of priorities. With a massive European challenge ahead, Rodgers will be keen to see reinforcements through the door in the coming days.
With UEFA’s decision on away fans pending and crucial signings still to be made, Celtic have plenty to focus on before they take to the pitch against Bayern.
