Celtic

Chris Bertram
BBC Sport Senior Journalist

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Brendan Rodgers has been speaking to the media before the Scottish Premiership game against Dundee United on Saturday.

Here are the key things he said:

• Paulo Bernardo will be out for up to five weeks with an ankle injury but otherwise the squad that faced Bayern Munich is available to take on United. James Forrest is running again but will not return to the first team for a few weeks.

• Rodgers praised Yang Hyun-jun for improving his numbers and affecting games more. The manager said the winger is still adapting to the culture and size of the club but has made "valuable contributions with energy and physicality".

• The Celtic boss will rotate some positions against United because the turnaround to the Bayern second leg is so quick and Rodgers says his side will "have to be at a real high level physically" for the game in Germany on Tuesday.

• He also warned Celtic need to be ready physically on Saturday, not least because since United's last game, his side have played four times.

• Rodgers said his side have faced an "unrelenting schedule" but praised his players for their focus, pointing to the Dundee match at the end of seven games in 21 days as the only one where their intensity dropped.

• The boss is "so happy" Daizen Maeda "getting the reward in terms of his numbers and his finishing". He said the forward is really high on confidence and praised his "will to do it repetitively" - but that he has to be "mindful he is still human" and so has tried to manage his load this season.

Chris Bertram
BBC Sport Senior Journalist

Third-placed Dundee United are the visitors to Celtic Park this weekend, so it is a long way from the Premiership leaders' most straightforward game of the season.

That said, the Tangerines have won just once in five league games, and Celtic's lead at the top is 13 points.

So, while Brendan Rodgers will be focused on a win against Jim Goodwin's side, he will surely have one eye on Tuesday's Champions League game at Bayern Munich, when Celtic need to turn around a 2-1 deficit.

Could that therefore mean a start on Saturday for Jota, to get the Portuguese winger valuable minutes as he seeks sharpness?

He has understandably looked short of top form since he returned to Glasgow after relatively little football in the past 18 months, but Celtic looked a more effective team when he came on against Bayern in the first leg.

Perhaps just as important, his introduction meant Daizen Maeda moved more central, and his harassing of Bayern's defenders forced them to hit more long balls under pressure.

If Jota starts against United, would a game alongside Maeda as the central striker help their understanding or might Adam Idah continue as the number nine to give the workaholic Japan forward a rest before the do-or-die match in Germany?

Read all this weekend's Premiership picks

• Celtic are unbeaten in 21 meetings with Dundee United in all competitions (W16 D5) since going down 2-1 in December 2014 under Ronny Deila.

• Dundee United have failed to win each of their past 49 away games at Celtic in all competitions (D12 L37). The only side to fail to win 50+ consecutive away games against the Hoops in all competitions were Kilmarnock from 1957 to 2011 (64).

• Celtic have conceded in just one of their 12 home league games this season (2-2 draw v Aberdeen in October), winning their past eight at Celtic Park in the Scottish Premiership by an aggregate score of 29-0.

• Dundee United have lost four of their past five league games (W1), as many as their first 20 such matches of the season beforehand (W9 D7 L4).

• Celtic's Daizen Maeda has scored in his past three Premiership appearances (four goals), his longest scoring streak in the competition. Since Christmas, he has 10 goal involvements in the top flight (six goals, four assists), more than any other player.

Newcastle had representatives at Celtic's Champions League play-off against Bayern Munich to watch Nicolas Kuhn, who they have already run the rule over several times this season. (Daily Mail), external

German legend Michael Ballack believes Celtic were denied a clear penalty against his former club Bayern in the second half of their first leg. (Scottish Sun), external

Pundit Micah Richards admits the atmosphere before the Celtic-Bayern game left the CBS studio speechless before kick-off. (The Rest is Football podcast), external

Roy Keane says he doesn't support former clubs Manchester United or Celtic and instead the team he does have an affinity for is Juventus. (Scottish Sun), external

Read the rest of Friday's gossip.

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Celtic defender Cameron Carter-Vickers says it's "game on" in Munich after his team showed they could hurt Bayern in their Champions League play-off first-leg.

Brendan Rodgers' side were heading for a 2-0 defeat and a mountain to climb in Bavaria next Tuesday, but Daizen Maeda's deft header with just over 10 minutes to go has given the Scottish champions hope.

"It was an interesting game, we contained them fairly well in the first half," the USA international said.

"We were probably a bit too passive in some of our defensive moments and I thought we could have been a bit better on the ball.

"The last 20-25 minutes we grew into the game and we showed that we can hurt them and keep the ball at times. By the end of it we were kind of on the front foot and looking pretty good and we have to take that into the next leg.

"Later on in the game when we started to get our passing game together, we looked dangerous.

"As long as it's one goal, it's definitely game on. For us, it's probably about going over there and either trying to keep that scoreline or better it for as long as we can, and trying to take the game over there to the dying minutes of that game.

"We know we've got that side so it's just about doing that on the ball, that belief that we can go and hurt them and create a chance before it goes."

Former Celtic midfielder Peter Grant: "Getting the goal back gives us great hope. I thought there was a 10-15 minute spell towards the end of the game where a few half chances were created and it was a bit unfortunate not to score again.

"Bayern are a team who are more than capable of winning it, but I think Celtic are more than capable of going across there, but we'll have to be at our very, very best and pick up a result that'll go down in history.

"If Celtic turn this around, this will be one of the greatest results in the club's history."

Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton: "Celtic finished the stronger team. It took until after Bayern eased off after scoring their second goal but Celtic showed their resilience and ended up taking the game to them - they were much braver in the final third in the closing stages.

"Celtic have lost but look they are still in the tie which is what Brendan Rodgers wanted. They will take heart from the way they finished."

Former Scotland international James McFadden: "In years gone by, that could have been a totally different story. The reaction was superb.

"Towards the end, Celtic looked the better side. They looked more threatening and Bayern lost all the control they had.

"Celtic coming back with that belief, energy and intent is a warning to Bayern. Listen, it's not over. It's highly unlikely, but Bayern have work to do next week."

Former Scotland international Pat Nevin: "There was a penalty Celtic didn't get, some referees might've given that. They scored an early goal which was unfortunately ruled out for offside.

"They made opportunities and they need to keep that in mind. They won't give up and football is strange, football is mad sometimes. Anything could happen."

We asked for your views on Celtic's 2-1 defeat against Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League play-off.

Here's what some of you said:

Roderick: At this level, second rate. Bayern were superior in all aspects: passing, pressing, instant ball control, speed, reflexes and awareness. When Celtic won the ball the player had virtually no options available because of the pressing. The midfield of Celtic were out of their depth. I have been a Celtic supporter for over 70 years and was in Lisbon. Money rules.

Angus: Still not on a par with Champions League big boys, but are learning and progressing. Domestic dominance means they are unfamiliar with playing without the ball - they need to adapt.

David: Celtic were good. Bayern were the better side but not by much. Daizen Maeda's goal keeping us in the tie. A suggestion to Brendan Rodgers: play our three wingers from the off in Munich, Maeda through the middle. I saw more worry in the Bayern defence in the last 20 minutes than with Adam Idah as striker. Our three wingmen are fast and elusive and terrific playing together.

George: Celtic seemed to have more stamina and the ability to play at a high level for the full 90 minutes. Bayern ran out of steam in the last 15 minutes allowing Celtic to get on top. Maeda was the prime example.

Mark: There were at least two clear and obvious errors by the referee that VAR chose to ignore. Bayern Munich players knocking the ball out but the referee giving the decision in their favour. Also, blatant penalty denied when Bayern player stood on Celtic player's foot in the box. If this had happened outside the box it would have been given.

Alan: Good, hard-working performance. They could have capitulated after being totally outplayed for most of the game and going down 2-0, but stuck with it and were in with a chance of equalising in the latter stages.

Martin Watt
BBC Sport Scotland

Celtic got away with it once. But when they left Harry Kane unmarked at a corner a second time, they were ruthlessly punished by Bayern Munich's England striker.

Kane's goal ended up separating the sides after a raucous night at Parkhead. And while Celtic skipper Callum McGregor admitted that instance of lax defending was a "lesson" to be learned, he stressed the importance of his side's strong finish that had Bayern "hanging on" for a 2-1 win in the Champions League play-off first leg.

"They've got big quality and you see that with the with the level of goals," McGregor told Celtic TV.

"An amazing finish for the first one and then obviously Harry Kane, you leave him unmarked inside the penalty box and he's going to get goals. So a little bit of a lesson for us in that one.

"But we're competitive, we're still in the tie and and that's where we want to be come next week."

Yang Hyun-jun, so often a peripheral figure during his Celtic career, helped ignite the home side to life with an impressive cameo off the bench and it was from the South Korean's touch that Daizen Maeda headed Celtic's late lifeline.

"The last 25 minutes is a good template for us and once we started to find that personality to play forward then you can see we can cause them problems," McGregor added.

"The bravery and the way the boys stay in the game even now at this level, you've got to commend them for that because at 2-0 the game can look difficult.

"The last 25 minutes we get going and and it's a different game at the end - they're sort of hanging on a little bit so we can take big confidence into next week."

Celtic winger Nicolas Kuhn rued the offside decision that denied him a sensational first-minute opener, with Adam Idah deemed to be obstructing Manuel Neuer's vision as the ball flashed past the Germany goalkeeper.

"It could have been a nice start, but unfortunately it wasn't," said Kuhn.

"The stadium was going crazy, it was amazing. The flag came up really late, so I was still hoping it was not offside.

Former France striker Loic Remy, who won the Premier League with Chelsea, says missing out on playing in the Old Firm match is his biggest regret in football. (Plejmo.com via Daily Record), external

Celebrity Celtic fan Sir Rod Stewart gatecrashed TNT and CBS' TV coverage of Celtic against Bayern Munich - and promised to fly pundit Jamie Carragher to watch the return leg in Germany. (Daily Record), external

Read the rest of Thursday's gossip.

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• Bayern have progressed from their last 13 Champions League knockout ties after winning the first leg.

• Celtic's home unbeaten run in all competitions has come to end after 33 matches. This was their first defeat since losing to Hearts in December 2023.

• Since the start of last season, Harry Kane has scored more goals than any other player in Europe's big five leagues across all competitions (73).

• Kane has been involved in 46 Champions League goals (36 goals, 10 assists) - the only Englishmen with more are David Beckham (52 -16 goals, 36 assists) and Wayne Rooney (47 -30 goals, 17 assists).

• This was Brendan Rodgers' first Champions League knockout match as a manager, with his first 32 all coming in the group stage. Only Fatih Terim (37th game) has had a longer wait than Rodgers (33rd game).

• Daizen Maeda is the first Japanese player to score four Champions League goals in a single season, while he's also the first Celtic player to score four goals in a season in the competition.

• Manuel Neuer became the oldest Bayern player to appear in a Champions League knockout match (38 years, 322 days), overtaking Lothar Matthaus in the 1999 final (38 years, 66 days).

David Currie
BBC Sport Scotland

Image source, Reuters

Celtic midfielder Arne Engels says his side have shown they can match Bayern Munich and must believe they can do so again in the away leg of their Champions League tie next Tuesday.

Speaking after the 2-1 first-leg defeat at Celtic Park on Wednesday, the German insisted his the Scottish champions could take plenty from the game.

"There are a lot of positive points. We just need to keep on believing in ourselves. We're still in the game and that was the aim.

"We have shown we can match Bayern and it's up to us now to go there and believe we can do something. We don't need to change a lot.

"I think we are improving in every aspect. We can be compact and you saw in the last 20 minutes that we really can hurt them."

Engels thought he might have had the opportunity to score from the penalty spot when he was challenged by Bayern defender Dayot Upamecano.

No foul was awarded on the field and, although referee Jesus Gil Manzano was called to the monitor to review his decision, he stuck with his original ruling.

"I felt something on my foot and I thought it was a penalty, but I heard from the guys that he slightly touched it with his toe," Engels said.

"I think if the referee needs to go to the screen maybe it would have been a penalty, but it wasn't. So we had to keep on going."

Daizen Maeda's deft header kept Celtic's hopes of reaching the Champions League last 16 alive, despite the Scottish Premiership side falling to defeat against Bayern Munich in Glasgow.

Japan international Maeda, whose suspension for the first leg was only overturned on Monday, hauled Brendan Rodgers' side back into a tie which appeared beyond them after goals either side of the break for Bayern.

Michael Olise's outrageous strike on the stroke of half-time set Vincent Kompany's side on their way to a much-deserved win after a dominant performance.

England captain Harry Kane was left, inexplicably, unmarked at the back post to volley in his 29th goal in 29 games this season and seventh in this competition.

It was a frustrating evening for Celtic but one from which they emerge with their hopes of reaching the last 16 still, just, alive ahead of Tuesday's second leg.

Whether you were at Celtic Park or watching the game from elsewhere, we want to hear from you. Give us your thoughts on the game, and the tie, here., external

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Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers: "It's a big goal for us, for our confidence in the game. You saw in the last 25 minutes, once we started to have more aggression in the game, we were much better.

"To get the goal and push like we did was pleasing. We've got one more shot now, next week, to try and claw it back.

"It looked like we got off to a great start. Unfortunately, it was disallowed. We didn't give away too much but I wasn't happy with how passive we were at times.

"The corner [for Harry Kane's goal] was disappointing. One of the world's best strikers shouldn't be left free in the box, that's for sure.

"We had to react. We make the changes and were much better in our pressure at the top end of the pitch. We started to move like we normally do.

"Then we get the goal and everything changes. By the end, Bayern are happy for the final whistle.

"For a lot of our players, it's the first time at this level. This season has been about getting confidence and, after that last 25 minutes, they'll feel a lot better about themselves going into next week.

"It was always going to be a big challenge for us, we were always going to be the underdog in this tie. You see their level, their quality. But for us, we hung in there against a really top side and gave them problems.

"We go over next week, we'll play at a great stadium, great pitch, and we've showed we can play. We have to have that aggressive mindset. We're still right in the tie. It's only a one goal difference. It's a big challenge, we know that but it's still a possibility.

"You know you have to suffer at this level but you have to have the ability to come back and that's what makes me proud at the end of the game.

"You can always lose at this level, especially as you go on in the competition. But what must never happen is - you must never be broken. The players weren't broken. They kept going, kept trying to play, kept fighting. Then we got a reward for that."

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland

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Celtic's first defeat in the competition this season was a drubbing in Dortmund. A match where they fell behind to a German giant and folded.

But as this campaign has continued, they've grown in quality and character. The latter of those was especially on show here.

Once again they came under intense pressure from feted European side, but this time they didn't buckle.

Maeda flashed a ball across the face after darting in front of Neuer, while Reo Hatate also had a sight of goal, as Rodgers' side attempted to yank themselves back into the tie.

For a few moments, Arne Engels even thought he might have an opportunity from the spot when he was caught by Dayot Upamecano but, after a lengthy VAR wait, that possibility disappeared.

It could have been so very different had Idah shimmied out of the path of Kuhn's strike inside the first minute, but even the start in itself was a sign of progress.

Celtic didn't start scared or respectful - they kicked off with intent.

It's still a mountain to climb in Munich next week, but, they head out with a hint of hope instead of fearing another hiding in Germany.