Celtic gave it their all away at the Allianz Arena against Bayern Munich and one could argue that they were the ones who deserved to go through. Unfortunately, the Hoops' finishing let them down once again. They could have easily scored two or three goals in the first half itself if they had made the most of the chances that they created.
Celtic did finally find a way past a shaky Bayern Munich defence, as Nicolas Kuhn scored the opener in the 63rd minute. And the Hoops held on to that lead until the dying seconds of the game.
Then, Celtic fans' nightmares came true. Alphonso Davies bundled the ball into the back of the net deep into extra-time to make it 1-1 and 3-2 to Bayern Munich on aggregate. The Hoops had no time to respond and that is how the game ended.
It was a heartbreaking way to go out of the competition. And it showed in the faces of the players after the game, who deserved more than they got for their performance on the night.
Celtic player pictured in tears in unseen moment after Bayern Munich game
Reo Hatate is someone who has been often criticised by a section of the fanbase for not looking interested in games and is viewed as someone seeking a move away from Celtic in the future. The Japanese midfielder showed what this means to him though as he was pictured in tears after the draw against Bayern Munich.
Unseen Reo Hatate moment sums up Celtic heartbreak as Brendan Rodgers consoles tearful star 😥💔https://t.co/sWa1Ym5egv pic.twitter.com/LZwWKhogoI
— Daily Record Sport (@Record_Sport) February 19, 2025
A draw against Bayern Munich in their own backyard might not have been enough for Celtic to go through to the next round of the Champions League. But it was enough to win the hearts of the supporters.
This was one of the club's best away performances in history. They are clearly on the right path. Now, it is about making sure that they build on this foundation.