Celtic won when the Champions League changed – now they face a familiar challenge | OneFootball

So far in the first season of the Champions League’s new inflated format, it has often been difficult to pinpoint the fixtures that matter and the ones that are just making up the numbers. But when Celtic welcome Bayern Munich to Glasgow for a play-off, 12 years to the day since the last time they hosted a Champions League knockout tie, there will be no doubting the significance of the occasion. “Very excited by it,” said Brendan Rodgers. “A great challenge for us.”

The statue of Jock Stein holding the 1967 European Cup outside Celtic Park ensures they remain one of the continent’s grandest names. In the 2012-13 campaign, they were still capable of a stirring night at home, beating Barcelona and Lionel Messi on their way to reaching the knockouts. Few could have predicted that a 3-0 defeat to Antonio Conte’s Juventus, the result that preceded a last-16 exit over two legs, would have been their last knockout tie until 2025.

But the old group stage became unkind to Celtic. The reality that the economic powers of European football had suddenly accelerated into the distance became clearer as they struggled to even negotiate the qualifying rounds and then, upon returning in 2022 and 2023, finished bottom of the four-team pool. With that format increasingly predictable, Celtic found the ceiling had been raised beyond their reach.

The changes may not have been designed for them, but there is now further evidence that Celtic were among the biggest beneficiaries of the Champions League’s new format. Following the inaugural league phase draw in August, sports analysts Opta declared the Scottish side had received the easiest set of fixtures. The final standings do not disagree. Celtic secured their progress to the play-offs by beating the teams who finished 32nd, 35th and 36th in the 36-team table.

If you can only defeat what is in front of you, Celtic at least ensured they did what everyone else did too by picking up three points against Young Boys and Slovan Bratislava. If Celtic’s home victory over RB Leipzig was the highlight of their campaign, it must be taken with a pinch of salt due to the German side being mostly dreadful in their other fixtures. Celtic were also one of the three teams who progressed to the play-offs despite not beating another team in the top 24, along with Atalanta and Manchester City.

Against Bayern, Celtic face an obvious step up in class. The defining result for Celtic’s league phase could have been the 7-1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund in just their second fixture. They responded well, earning a decent point away to an Atalanta side who troubled Barcelona and Real Madrid, but the big games against the biggest names have often exposed the wide gap that Celtic themselves enjoy at home. A return to the knockout stages should not suggest that the gulf has closed over the past 12 months.

Rodgers may disagree. “We’ve already shown progress this season,” he said. “It’s a great marker for us. With our running power and physicality, which is something we have really improved on at this level, and with the energy and support behind us, anything is possible in the game. We want to go and perform. We’re not frightened to lose. If we can perform well, like we have shown in this competition, especially at home, then we can go and get what we deserve.”

Celtic were thrashed 7-1 by Dortmund and must now face Bayern Munich over two legs (Getty)

A first-leg win is surely an imperative. “It’s important for us to be alive in the tie,” Rodgers said. Bayern have won their last seven matches in a row at the Allianz Arena while scoring 4, 5, 5, 3, 3, 4, and 3 goals. If there are issues around Vincent Kompany’s side, scoring goals – for a team that includes Harry Kane, Jamal Musiala, Michael Olise, Leroy Sane, Serge Gnabry and Kingsley Coman – is not one of them. Celtic captain Callum McGregor is unlikely to forget Scotland’s chastening experience against Germany in the opening match of Euro 2024 on his return to Munich next week.

Any murmurings of discontent around Kompany’s debut season in Bavaria have come following the Champions League defeats to Aston Villa, Barcelona and Feyenoord; encouragingly for Celtic, they all came away from home. But in Germany, Bayern are threatening to restore normal service to their Bundesliga dominance. Dethroned last year by Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern hold an eight-point lead over Xabi Alonso’s side and will go into Saturday’s clash against the champions on the back of seven wins in a row.

That the biggest match of Bayern’s season so far comes at the weekend, in between the two legs of their Champions League, may be a further sign of encouragement for Celtic. There is no question where their priorities lie. Any remaining jeopardy in the Premiership title race hinges on either a stunning collapse from the leaders or a miraculous recovery from closest challengers Rangers, a rival last seen 13 points off the pace and crashing out of the Scottish Cup with defeat to second-tier Queen’s Park.

But expanding the Champions League to 36 teams and playing eight rounds of fixtures to only eliminate 12 of them can lead to a dilution of quality and risks exposing those who snuck through. This, to be clear, applies just as equally to Manchester City and Club Brugge. Celtic will be out to show they deserve their place and Celtic Park will rock for the visit of “football royalty” and the six-time European champions. Celtic were clear winners when Uefa tweaked the Champions League’s format, it is up to them to prove it has not just delayed a familiar story.