Celtic are set for one of their biggest European nights in years, as they head to the Allianz Arena looking to overturn a 2-1 first-leg defeat to Bayern Munich. Brendan Rodgers’ side pushed the Bundesliga leaders late on at Celtic Park, and now the challenge is to find a way to do it from the first whistle in Germany.
Rodgers has big calls to make in several areas of the pitch, with his attacking setup likely to be the most crucial decision of all. Celtic must score at least once to have any chance of progressing, meaning their approach in the final third will be key. With players like Jota back in the mix and Yang making an impact off the bench in the first leg, Rodgers will be assessing all his options before settling on his starting XI.
One of the major talking points in the build-up has been Daizen Maeda’s role. He shifted into a central role late on in the first leg and helped spark a late Celtic revival. When asked about whether that influenced his selection for Tuesday, Rodgers admitted it had been a big discussion point.
“It’s certainly something that we looked at and talked about as coaches. But whatever we go with, whether it’s Adam or Daizen, we still have the ability to affect the game,” Rodgers told Celtic TV.
“It’s something, of course, the design of the team and what it is we want to do. It was certainly a consideration.”
Rodgers started Adam Idah up front in the first leg, with Maeda on the left wing, but Celtic struggled to break through Bayern’s defensive setup for large spells. However, once Maeda moved into a central role in the final 25 minutes, his pressing and movement unsettled Bayern’s backline, with the Japanese forward eventually grabbing a goal to make it 2-1.
Now, with the tie still in the balance, Rodgers has a decision to make. Does he persist with Idah’s physicality up top, allowing Celtic to have a focal point to build from? Or does he trust Maeda’s relentless energy from the start, hoping to unsettle Bayern’s defenders early?
Whatever Rodgers chooses, Celtic need to be clinical. The first leg proved they can trouble Bayern when they play with aggression and belief, but they will need to get everything right if they are to pull off a famous result in Munich.
CELTSAREHERE EXTRA TIME SUBSCRIBERS CAN READ THE FULL PRESS CONFERENCE HERE.
