The dust has well and truly settled on Celtic's epic Champions League tie against Bayern Munich. The Hoops exceeded all expectations and took the Bundesliga giants to their limit. Vincent Kompany's team had to rely on a scrambled added time goal from Alphonso Davies to make it to the next round of the competition.
It is safe to say that Celtic impressed the fans. They viewed it as a clear sign of progress in the Champions League and are already hungry for more in the future.
On the other hand, they seemed to earn the respect of the opposition as well. They were full of praise to the media about Celtic after the tie. But what was said behind closed doors? Well, we have the answer to that now as well.
As reported by 67 Hail Hail, Bild [print edition page 1] shares what Kompany said in the Allianz Arena dressing room after their draw against Celtic. The Belgian manager told his players:
"I’m not putting anything past you, past this team, on you, on this team.
“We got through the game in Leverkusen, we’re still eight points ahead and we’ve progressed against Celtic.
“The performance wasn’t good, but it’s about the results. I know exactly how it feels. Three games in six days.
“The flight to Glasgow. A banquet afterwards. Later, not in bed until two o’clock.
“I don’t want to defend you, but I know what it’s like. I’m proud that you had the mentality against Celtic until the 94th minute."
What Vincent Kompany privately said about Celtic in Bayern dressing room
Celtic players, coaches, fans and everybody else associated with the club can be very proud of this Champions League campaign. It was their best one in years. But now, it is time to look forward.
The immediate future lies in the domestic competitions. Celtic are in control of the league title race but nothing comes for free in football. They need to get over the finish line by winning a decent number of their remaining games.
On the other hand, the Scottish Cup is up for grabs as well. Yes, Celtic are heavy favourites after the Rangers were eliminated from the competition but one cannot rule out the idea of an upset. One bad day at the office and the Hoops could be out as well. So, they cannot let their focus drop.