Cameron Carter-Vickers Believes Celtic Still in Bayern Tie after Learning Experience

Cameron Carter-Vickers believes Celtic have kept themselves alive in their Champions League tie with Bayern Munich after a battling performance at Celtic Park.

The Hoops were 2-1 losers in the first leg of the knockout play-off but Daizen Maeda’s late header means they head to Munich next week with genuine hope of pulling off an upset.

The American defender put in a disciplined display at the back, marshalling the defence against a potent Bayern attack led by Harry Kane. And while he admitted the Bundesliga leaders were tough opponents, he insisted the tie is still in the balance.

Reflecting on the game, Carter-Vickers highlighted the team’s resilience and belief in the second half, as Celtic pushed hard to get back into the match.

“Yeah, 100 per cent. Our aim going into the game was to make sure we were still in the tie going into the second leg – and I think we’ve done that.

“Towards the end of the match, we grew into it and showed that when we put passes together, we can be quite dangerous. We have to take that into the next game.”

Celtic finished the game strongly, with Alistair Johnston going agonisingly close to an equaliser late on, forcing a good save from Neuer.

“We definitely had momentum near the end. Maybe if the game had gone on a bit longer, we could have got another one. But ultimately, we’re still in a good position to go over there and try to get a result.”

The former Tottenham defender knows Harry Kane well from his time in Spurs’ youth academy. The Bayern striker, who scored his 29th goal of the season with a clinical volley to put the visitors 2-0 up, provided a stern examination of Carter-Vickers’ defensive abilities.

“He’s such a clever player. He’s always pulling into positions where you’re not sure whether you should go and mark him or whether somebody else should pick him up.

“It might look like he’s not doing much, but his movement helps others get free and create space. It was definitely a tough game, and you know if he gets a chance, he’s going to take it.”

Asked if Kane is Europe’s best striker, Carter-Vickers smiled and gave a measured response.

“I don’t know, that’s a tough one. But he’s definitely one of the best. His goalscoring record speaks for itself.”

CCV reckons Celtic’s late rally – culminating in Maeda’s header – gives them valuable belief ahead of the second leg.

“We learned a lot about them tonight. And they will have learned stuff about us too. We’ll see how it plays out next week.

“But if we can play with the same bravery and belief as we showed in the last 20 minutes, we can cause problems.”

Tactically, Carter-Vickers noted how Celtic had to alter their usual approach from domestic matches.

“It’s definitely different. In the league, we have 70 or 80 per cent of possession and we’re always on the front foot. We defend on the halfway line.

“Tonight, we had to be deeper, more patient. But I think we handled that pretty well for large parts of the game.”

Despite Bayern’s dominance of possession, Celtic looked dangerous when they managed to spring forward. Carter-Vickers believes the team has the pace in attack to exploit Bayern’s high line in Munich.

“Yeah, no doubt. We’ve got guys like Daizen[Maeda], Nicolas [Kuhn], Jota, Adam Idah – I think they all showed that they’ve got that pace and that ability to kind of run in behind them.

“Even in the first half, we were maybe one or two passes away from getting through on goal.”

Celtic have been scarred by heavy defeats in previous European campaigns. But Carter-Vickers sees genuine signs of growth within the squad.

“I think we’ve matured as a group over these three years in the Champions League. We conceded two goals tonight, which is disappointing, but for large parts we contained them. They had a lot of the ball, but not many clear-cut chances.”

Celtic head to Germany as underdogs, but with renewed belief after competing well against the Bundesliga leaders.

Carter-Vickers knows the task ahead is massive but believes the late goal could shift the momentum slightly.

“The goal is definitely important. Going there at 2-0 would have been tough. think at 2-1 you’re definitely in the tie, and for us it’s probably about trying to stay in the game as long as we can over there. I think if it stays 2-1 going later into that match, it will definitely suit us.”

The Allianz Arena awaits the Hoops.

Celtic need something special – but after Wednesday night, they know it’s possible.