Celtic Vs Bayern Munich Prediction: Waiting For New History At Celtic Park

JAKARTA - Glasgow will witness Celtic's return to the knockout stages of the Champions League after 12 years, when they host German giant Bayern Munich, at Celtic Park on Wednesday night, February 12. This is a great opportunity for Brendan Rodgers' team to prove themselves on the European stage, while Bayern face great pressure after a less convincing start to the competition.

Bayern Munich came into this game in an unusual situation. Vincent Kompany's side almost made a bad history by failing to reach the last 16 for the first time in more than two decades. They suffered three defeats in their away game in the Champions League this season, which saw them fail to penetrate the last eight and have to go through this playoffs to continue their journey in the competition.

The narrow defeat at Aston Villa and a crushing defeat at Barcelona and Feyennoord showed that Bayern had a big weakness while playing outside the Allianz Arena. However, they remain a team with a frightening attack power, scoring 20 goals in eight league stage matches. Their main problem is in the back line, which only records two clean sheets and even conceded from teams such as Dinamo Zagreb and Slovan Bratislava.

Bayern had experienced a nearly embarrassing moment earlier this month as they almost threw their lead in a 4-3 win against Holstein Kiel at DFB-Pokal. However, they quickly bounced up with a convincing 3-0 win over Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga, leading them to an eight-point lead at the top of the standings.

History sided with Bayern against Scottish clubs. They have been unbeaten in their last 13 meetings against the country's home team since losing to Hearts in 1989. Bayern also had a good record against Celtic, winning two 2017 Champions League group matches against them and last played a goalless draw at Celtic Park in 2003.

For Celtic, goalless draws may seem like an extraordinary achievement, but in the context of a two-legged aggregate, they need more than just that result. If they fail to win at home, they have to find a way to win at the Allianz Arena "a big challenge given Bayern's impressive record at home."

Brendan Rodgers' side may not be the favorites of this match, but they have shown that they can make a surprise. One proof of this is a 3-1 win over RB Leipzig in the group stage, which is their first win over German clubs in European competitions. However, if you want to qualify for the next round, Celtic will have to fight their own history, as they have always been knocked out in the last 16 on the previous three occasions lastly lost 0-5 on aggregate to Juventus in 2013.

Since the last time it reached the knockout phase in 2008, Celtic has often struggled with European big clubs. Their two trips to the last 16 in 2007 and 2008 ended with elimination from AC Milan and Barcelona. Now, they face similar challenges to Bayern Munich as opponents to be conquered.

However, Celtic arrived at this match with high confidence. They won a landslide 6-0 win over control and 5-0 over Raith Rovers in the past week, showing they were in sharp condition in front of goal. What's more, they are still unbeaten at Celtic Park in European competitions this season, picking up 10 points from their four home games in the league stage.

For Celtic fans, they will hope for a miracle as they witnessed when their team beat Barcelona 2-1 in the 2012 Champions League. If they can repeat that performance, then Bayern may have to prepare for a big surprise in Glasgow.

Celtic will field a much stronger team than their last game in the Scottish Cup against Raith Rovers, where Brendan Rodgers rotated a lot. Adam Idah is expected to return as the spearhead after outstanding in recent weeks, scoring four goals in his last three games.

Daizen Maeda, who scored a hat-trick in victory over Raith, had to miss this game due to the direct red card he got against Young Boys on the seventh matchday. With Maeda's absence, Yang Hyun-jun is likely to replace his position in attack.

Meanwhile, Jota is still recovering after being sidelined for 18 months from competitive football. Paulo Bernardo is expected not to play after suffering an injury against Raith, joining James Forrest on the Celtic injury list.

In the Bayern Munich camp, there are some concerns regarding player fitness. Jo total Palhinha and Serge Gnabry have doubts about appearing after missing a win against Werder Bremen due to illness. Alphonso Davies is ruled out due to a hamstring injury, although he has just extended his contract at the club.

Vincent Kompany chose not to rotate in their last game, showing that he wanted to maintain the rhythm and consistency of the team. Therefore, Bayern are likely to come down with a squad that is almost the same as against Bremen, with Harry Kane remaining a mainstay on the front lines of his return to Great Britain.

Leroy Sané scored from the bench in the last game, but the winger positions are likely to be filled by Michael Olise and Kingsley Coman, who last scored against Celtic seven and a half years ago in their meeting in the 2017 Champions League group stage.

Celtic need to take advantage of their home profits and try to score a goal first to put pressure on Bayern. Given Bayern's poor record in this season's Champions League away game, Celtic may be able to expect to steal a positive result.

However, Bayern remains a world-class team, especially with Harry Kane's presence on the front lines capable of scoring goals from various situations. In addition, Jamal Musiala's creativity and Kingsley Coman's speed could pose a major threat to the Celtic defense.

If Celtic is able to survive with discipline and take advantage of the opportunities they have, they can give a surprise in this first leg. However, Bayern remains a favorite to win and will try to score away goals to make their duties easier in the second leg at the Allianz Arena.

Celtic (4-3-3):Schmeichel; Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Taylor; Englishs, McGregor, Hate; Kuhn, Idah, Yang

Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1):Neuer; Laimer, Upamecano, Kim, Guerreiro; Kimmich, Pavlovic; Coman, Musiala, Olise; Kane

Score Prediction: Celtic 1-2 Bayern Munich