Celtic v Bayern Munich: Nine match facts ahead of UCL clash | OneFootball

Celtic face Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League Playoff first leg this evening. Anticipation is building around the city in the first knock out UCL tie for twelve years.

There are a number of interesting facts laid in by One Football in relation to the game and some don’t make for happy reading. However, Celtic will be targeting a result against the Germans m, which would highlight the club’s impressive displays in Europe so far this season.

1. Time for Heroes

Celtic have faced Bayern Munich on four previous occasions in European competition, going winless across all four in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League (D1 L3).

2. Bayern’s impressive Scottish record

Bayern Munich are unbeaten in their last 13 matches against Scottish sides in major European competition (W9 D4), with their last such defeat coming against Hearts in the UEFA Cup in February 1989 (0-1).

3. Carrying on from RB Leipzig victory

Celtic have won just one of their 12 UEFA Champions League/European Cup clashes with German opposition (D3 L8), although that victory did come in the most recent one, against RB Leipzig in November in the group stages of the Champions League.

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Celtic have won just one of their last 21 games in European competition against teams who have won the European Cup/UEFA Champions League, beating Feyenoord 2-1 in December 2023 (D4 L16).

5. Bayern’s poor away form

Bayern Munich have lost three of their four away matches (W1) in the UEFA Champions League this season. Should Celtic earn a victory here, it would be the first time the German side have lost four away games in a single campaign in major European competition.

6. Munich’s high turnover

Bayern Munich made the most high turnovers (120) of any team during the league phase of this season’s UEFA Champions League, while they turned 21 of those into shots (joint-most). Meanwhile, only five teams have suffered more high turnovers against them than Celtic (79) in the competition this term.

7. Nicolas Kühn Celtic’s one to watch

Celtic winger Nicolas Kühn has created 10 chances following a carry (travelling 5+ metres with the ball) in the UEFA Champions League this season; the most of any player during the league phase.

8. Joshua Kimmich is Munich’s one to watch

Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich has been involved in more shot-ending sequences of play (from open play) than any other player in the UEFA Champions League this term (72). Indeed, he’s also the top-ranked player in 2024-25 for both passes completed (689) and line-breaking passes (136).

9. Omnipresent McGregor and Kimmich

Only five midfielders have played every minute for their teams in the UEFA Champions League this season (720), two of which play for clubs involved in this game: Callum McGregor for Celtic and Joshua Kimmich for Bayern Munich.