Celtic suffered the cruellest of Champions League exits after Alphonso Davies scrambled an equaliser for Bayern Munich in the final minute of stoppage time in the Allianz Arena.
The Scottish champions looked set to take the play-off into extra time after Nicolas Kuhn put them ahead in the second half from the latest in a series of good chances they created.
Bayern belatedly exerted some sustained pressure and it paid off deep into four minutes added on.
Alphonso Davies breaks Celtic hearts in Munich ⏱️#UCL pic.twitter.com/3x4tiyUFza
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) February 18, 2025
Kasper Schmeichel made a good stop from Leon Goretzka’s header but Davies scrambled home from close range as he tackled Cameron Carter-Vickers.
The 1-1 draw sealed a 3-2 aggregate win for Bayern but Celtic left with their heads held high after showing they could match the Bundesliga leaders for long spells.
The scale of their task had been huge. Bayern’s last home defeat in European quarter-finals came against Paris St Germain four years ago and they are unbeaten at home in the Bundesliga all season. Celtic had never won in 14 previous competitive games in Germany.
Brendan Rodgers started with Jota on the wing and Daizen Maeda as centre-forward after the Japan attacker’s first-leg move inside and goal got Celtic back into the tie.
Jeffrey Schlupp was handed a surprise start at left-back and he came under early pressure as Bayern sprayed diagonal balls to Michael Olise. The winger’s cross created the first real chance but Alistair Johnston blocked from Serge Gnabry’s header.
Celtic soon had a chance of their own when Callum McGregor’s aggressive pressing led to him bursting beyond the home defence. The midfielder was on the angle but, with eight goals this season, would have expected to hit the target. Instead he shot wide of the near post.
The chances kept coming as Celtic beat Bayern’s press and created a three-on-three. Jota did brilliantly to set up Kuhn but the former Bayern second-team winger’s shot lacked power and a defender got back to clear off the line.
Celtic kept the pressure on and Reo Hatate’s first-time pass played Arne Engels in behind, but Maeda just could not reach the Belgian’s low cross with the goal gaping.
The Japan attacker had another chance moments later when Kuhn collected a misplaced pass and set him up with Manuel Neuer stranded, but Maeda’s first-time effort cleared the bar from 20 yards.
Bayern settled down and started creating some chances without looking in control. Schmeichel beat away Harry Kane’s deflected effort, Joshua Kimmich shot wide following Olise’s cutback and the England captain missed Bayern’s best first-half chance when he hit the bar from 16 yards after another pass from the right.
It was the former Tottenham striker’s last involvement as he made way for Kingsley Coman at half-time.
Hatate wasted an opportunity to shoot inside the penalty box early in the second half but Schmeichel came to Celtic’s rescue with a trademark one-on-one stop from Goretzka.
Bayern appeared to have more urgency in their pressing and were making most of the running but Celtic capitalised on some slack defending after substitute Adam Idah came deep to collect a forward pass and send the ball forward.
Maeda looked third favourite but beat two defenders to the ball and played in Kuhn, who rode a challenge and calmly slotted past Neuer.
Celtic soon had a chance to further stun the home support when Yang Hyun-jun, on for the injured Kuhn, swung in a cross which Maeda threw himself at. Neuer was well-placed to save the header.
Bayern found a strong response. Goretzka and Leroy Sane were inches wide and Schmeichel reacted well to parry a deflected strike from Kimmich.
Celtic struggled to get out of their own half in the closing stages and the pressure eventually paid off.
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