EX-CELT IN WARNING OVER EURO TACTICS
Old Bhoy Hinkel urges Celtic to double up on deadly Bayern trio
CELTIC were today told to double up on Bayern Munich danger men Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Muller and Arjen Robben to avoid a Champions League mauling in Germany.
Brendan Rodgers’s side face a tough task getting a result against Jupp Heynckes’s star-studded team in the Group B match in the Allianz Arena tomorrow night.
The Scottish champions suffered a humiliating 5-0 defeat at the hands of a Paris Saint-Germain team that
contained Kylian Mbappe and Neymar up front in their opening match last month.
But Andreas Hinkel, the former Hoops rightback who is now manager at VfB Stuttgart II in his homeland, has insisted “FC Hollywood” can be beaten with the right tactics.
The former Germany star feels his old club must concentrate on defending and look to punish their hosts on the counter as well as at set-pieces.
“They have so many good players,” he said. “Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels are really important at the back, in midfield Thiago and Arjen Robben are key and up front you have Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller.
“With Lewandowski up front they can play a long ball game, they can play along the ground. He can finish inside the box and outside it as well. He is getting older now, but he is still a real handful for defenders to get to grips with.
“I don’t know if Kinglsey Coman and Arjen Robben are fit, but if they are then they can also cause Celtic big problems.
“They will need two players to defend against each of them and try not to give any of them space.
“It is better to be settled at the back and have many bodies behind the ball. Celtic will have a better chance of getting a result by playing like this as well as on the counter attack.”
Hinkel is looking forward to seeing how Celtic left-back Kieran Tierney performs in the meeting with his countrymen having heard great things about the youngster from friends in Scotland.
He added: “It is obviously difficult for teams away from home in Europe, but Kieran has played against some of the best players in the world since getting into the first team and I don’t think he will be daunted by taking on Bayern Munich.
“I am sure he will enjoy the occasion and I know all of the Celtic fans who travel to Germany will get right behind their team as well.”