Respected football journalist Henry Winter has given his reaction to Celtic’s valiant effort in the Champions League, where they fell just short of forcing extra time against Bayern Munich.
The Hoops led 1-0 in Germany thanks to a Nicolas Kuhn goal but were denied a historic result after Alphonso Davies’ 94th-minute equaliser handed Bayern a 3-2 aggregate victory.
Winter, who has spent time in Glasgow covering Celtic, including attending a Glasgow Derby and visiting Lennoxtown, took to Twitter to praise the team’s performance and progress under Brendan Rodgers.
“Celtic return from Munich out of Europe for this season but hugely respected on the Continent again. Rodgers more pragmatic, savvier. Impressive v Atalanta, RB Leipzig, disciplined at the Allianz. Bayern’s relief at late escape said it all. #CelticFC just need a stronger bench.”
Winter’s assessment does reflect the growing maturity of Rodgers’ side on the European stage, pointing to their performances against top opposition such as Atalanta, RB Leipzig, and now Bayern. While Celtic’s starting XI proved they can compete at this level, he suggests squad depth remains a key issue if they are to make the next step in Europe.
And you can’t argue with that. Brendan Rodgers only made two changes last night, with the bench lacking a player who could come on and change the game. Maybe Bernardo could’ve been that player in the middle of the pitch, but he’s currently out injured.
Despite the devastating nature of the defeat, Celtic’s showing across the campaign has earned them respect, with their latest display forcing Bayern Munich to dig deep just to progress.
