Chris Sutton has praised Celtic’s performance in their 1-1 draw against Bayern Munich, calling it “sensational” and a sign of huge progress under Brendan Rodgers.
The former Celtic striker was on the Champions League highlights show on Wednesday night, where he reflected on the heartbreak of Bayern’s 94th-minute equaliser, but focused on how far the Scottish champions have come in Europe.
Celtic were just seconds away from taking Bayern Munich to extra time, but the equaliser put the Germans ahead on aggregate, seeing them break Celtic hearts.
Sutton, speaking 24 hours after the match, gave his analysis.
“It was an absolute sickener at the end because I thought Celtic were so brave in the way that they played. I thought they would’ve taken some great confidence from the way that they played in the last 25 minutes.”
“They knew that Bayern would dominate possession, but they had to carry a threat, and they had the best chances in the first half.”
“I thought the balance which Celtic had, they played out through the back but were confident enough at times to go direct.”
“I thought Celtic were sensational all night. They were brave with the press when they had to be.
“Celtic did have another chance after they went ahead. Arne Engels Probably had his best game for Celtic against Munich.”
While Celtic came agonisingly close to reaching the Champions League last 16 this time, Sutton believes this is just the start of the club’s European resurgence.
“It’s about getting a foothold in the Champions League and this is just the start. This season, Celtic were always going to be judged on the Champions League, and they’ve shown they have progressed as a club.”
He also pointed out that next season will bring the challenge of a qualifier for the group stage, but Celtic should take belief from their performance in Munich.
“I think they’ve got to go through a qualifier next season, which is always tricky. But I think the way they performed, going to Munich and having that level of performance and confidence—I can’t remember the last Celtic team to go away and do that against a big team and play with that balance.”
Despite the heartbreak of conceding in stoppage time, Sutton insists Celtic can take great pride in their Champions League campaign.
Rodgers’ side pushed a European giant to the limit, and now, with another summer window approaching, the challenge is to take the next step and make last-16 qualification a reality.
