Comments and predictions for Celtic vs Bayern Munich: Must win imperative

Latest Celtic vs Bayern Munich squad information

Going into the crucial game, Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is expected to make a number of notable changes to his starting line-up, after rotating his squad heavily in the cup win over Raith last weekend. With his recent form shining, striker Adam Idah is ready to return to the starting line-up and continue his impressive run, having scored 4 goals in just 3 recent matches. Idah's rise promises to bring a new breeze to Celtic's attack and give them more confidence in the upcoming important matches.

However, not everything has gone smoothly for Celtic. Midfielder Daizen Maeda, who scored a hat-trick against Raith in a brilliant performance, will miss the match due to suspension. He was sent off against Young Boys on Matchday 7, meaning young talent Yang Hyun-jun could be given the chance to start in Maeda's place. Maeda's absence will certainly have a big impact on Celtic's attacking prowess, but it will also give Yang Hyun-jun a chance to show his ability and prove his worth.

In addition, midfielder Jota is still recovering and rebuilding his fitness after 18 months of regular playing time, a long hiatus that has affected his form significantly. In addition, Paulo Bernardo is also expected to join the list of players who will be sidelined, along with James Forrest, after being forced off in the first half of the match against Raith due to an unexpected injury.

On the other side of the front line, Bayern Munich are also facing certain difficulties in terms of force. Midfielder Joao Palhinha and striker Serge Gnabry are both doubtful to play after having to miss last weekend's victory over Werder Bremen due to health reasons. The absence of these two players will certainly affect the strength of Bayern Munich's attack and ability to control the midfield. Defender Alphonso Davies will also continue to be sidelined due to a hamstring problem. Although Davies has extended his contract with the club, he has not been able to return to the field and contribute to the team.

Manager Vincent Kompany showed his determination and trust in his key players by not rotating his squad too much against Bremen last weekend. He fielded the strongest possible squad to secure victory, and it is likely that he will continue to use a similar lineup in the upcoming match, with Harry Kane leading the line. Kane will certainly be feeling special and motivated when he returns to the British Isles. Leroy Sane scored a goal after coming off the bench against Bremen, but he will likely have to give up his starting position to the talented attacking duo of Michael Olise and Kingsley Coman. The duo are expected to create breakthroughs and cause problems for Celtic's defense. Interestingly, Kingsley Coman also scored the goal in the last meeting between the two teams seven and a half years ago.

Latest expected lineup for Celtic vs Bayern Munich

Celtic:

Schmeichel; Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Taylor; Engels, McGregor, Hatate; Kuhn, Idah, Yang

Bayern Munich:

Neuer; Laimer, Upamecano, Kim, Guerreiro; Kimmich, Pavlovic; Coman, Musiala, Olise; Kane

Latest Celtic vs Bayern Munich football commentary

With the Champions League knockout stage just beginning, Bayern Munich are facing the risk of creating a dark page in their glorious history, after a not-so-smooth start to the European competition this season. Vincent Kompany's team has suffered three away defeats in the Champions League this season.

The Bavarian giants have never suffered such a poor run of form before, losing four away games in a single European campaign. The disappointing run began with a narrow defeat to Aston Villa, then continued with crushing defeats to Barcelona and Feyenoord, leaving Bayern Munich with no chance of making the top eight and having to enter the fateful play-offs. Despite a difficult and uneventful group stage, Bayern Munich still showed their mettle and strength by maintaining a perfect record at home, striking terror into the hearts of all opponents who came to their "home".

Reaching the round of 16 has become a habit for Bayern Munich, having done so in 16 consecutive Champions League campaigns. The last time the team had to stop before this round was a long time ago, in the 2002 season, when Europe's most prestigious tournament had not yet been renamed. At that time, Bayern Munich suffered a bitter end when they were eliminated in the group stage from a group that included big teams such as AC Milan, Deportivo La Coruna and Lens. Looking at the attack, it is clear that there is not much to blame for Bayern Munich's strikers. The proof is that they scored 20 goals after only 8 matches in the group stage. However, the biggest problem for the Bavarian team lies in defense, where they could only keep a clean sheet in 2 matches and even conceded goals at home against weaker opponents such as Dinamo Zagreb and Slovan Bratislava.

A shaky and shaky defense almost cost Bayern Munich an unthinkable defeat against Holstein Kiel in the German Cup earlier this month. In that match, they let their opponents score three goals in the final minutes, and could only win by a narrow score of 4-3. Learning from their mistakes, coach Vincent Kompany and his team quickly regained their confidence and showed their mettle by crushing Werder Bremen 3-0 at the weekend, thereby firmly consolidating their position at the top of the Bundesliga, with a gap of up to 8 points compared to the second-placed team. Facing an opponent from Scotland is not something too unfamiliar for Bayern Munich. Over the past few decades, they have gone 13 games unbeaten against English sides since losing to Hearts in 1989 in the UEFA Cup, and four of those have come against Celtic.

Bayern Munich have won both home and away against Celtic in the 2017 Champions League group stage, but they were held to a 0-0 draw at Celtic Park in 2003. A goalless draw might not be a bad result on paper for Celtic, but it may not do much to improve their chances of progressing, especially considering they have to travel to the Allianz Arena and win the return leg. Despite never having beaten Bayern Munich in their history, and having won just one of their 21 previous meetings with the Champions League winners, Celtic pulled off a major upset by beating RB Leipzig 3-1 at home this season, and the manager and fans will be hoping for another miracle. Celtic need to rewrite history books in order to progress further in the Champions League, and be at their best in the upcoming matches. A notable statistic is that Celtic have lost each of their last three Champions League knockout matches, with the most recent being a 5-0 aggregate defeat to Juventus in 2013, suggesting that the team needs to improve a lot if they are to overcome the challenge.

The Hoops had reached the last 16 in back-to-back seasons, in 2007 and 2008, but another European power stood in their way, with AC Milan and Barcelona knocking Celtic out of the competition. With a similar mountain to climb, the manager and players were well aware of the challenges they faced, especially as Bayern had previously dominated European competition, winning the C1/Champions League a total of six times.

Despite the difficulties, Celtic are confident at home, having secured resounding 6-0 wins over Dundee and 5-0 wins over Raith Rovers in the past week. Confidence is running high, and they remain unbeaten at home in European competition this season. Victory over Leipzig not only brought home three valuable points, but added to an impressive record of 10 points from four home games in the group stage. The Scots are in a strong position to play on their home turf. They will need a heroic performance, similar to the one they put in against Barcelona in this competition in 2012, if they are to have any chance ahead of the difficult return leg at the Allianz Arena.

Latest Celtic vs Bayern Munich score prediction

Based on the above football comments, we and the world's leading football sites have given the results of the match.Celtic vs Bayern Munichas follows:

• Sportsmole:Celtic 0-2 Bayern Munich

• WhoScore:Celtic 0-1 Bayern Munich
• Our newspaper predicts:Celtic 0-2 Bayern Munich

When and where to watch Celtic vs Bayern Munich live?

To watch live the Celtic vs Bayern Munich match in the Champion League taking place at 3:00 a.m. on February 13, viewers can watch onK+ Sport,K+PMor online sports channels. Wish you have fun watching football.