Celtic could not get a win against Bayern Munich but they were not completely outplayed either. The 2-1 loss still leaves room for hope going into the second leg away at the Allianz Arena next week. Daizen Maeda's late goal has given the Hoops a lifeline and on another day, this could have even been a draw or a win.
The first incident worth discussing took place very early on in the game. Nicolas Kuhn had the ball in the back of the net but it was ruled out as Adam Idah was adjudged to have obstructed the view of the Bayern Munich goalkeeper while in an offside position.
While it was a decision that many would not have liked, it was at least easy to understand why it had been made. The same cannot be said about the penalty incident later on in the game though.
Dayot Upamecano appeared step on Arne Engels' foot in the Bayern Munich penalty area. The referee was sent to the monitor by VAR and yet, he decided to stand by his decision of not awarding a spot-kick.
Kasper Schmeichel blames refereeing after Celtic vs Bayern Munich
As reported by Celts Are Here, while speaking with his father on CBS Sports after the game, Schmeichel said about the incident:
"I don’t know what rules are in football anymore.
“I mean, what’s a penalty, what’s not a penalty? It’s literally whatever the referee has woken up and felt that day."
Schmeichel further went on to add after seeing the replay:
"Oh my God. That looks like a penalty. It looks like a clear penalty. Had that been the other end, that was a pen."
Of course, the result of the game could have been very different if a penalty was awarded at that point. Celtic did grow into the game and had Bayern Munich on the backfoot in the latter stages of the contest.
Ultimately, it is cause for optimism heading into the second leg. Celtic can get a result away from home if they are at their very best and Bayern Munich end up having a bad day at the office. Let's hope that is how it turns out in Germany next week.