TALKING CELTIC
IT IS an evening for ghosts and ghouls tomorrow night. Celtic can only hope they aren’t haunted by their recent experiences i n the Champions League as they host one of the great European powerhouses in Bayern Munich.
There is good reason for Celtic to look towards the tie with both excitement and apprehension; the glamour nights are there to be enjoyed but given the manner in which Bayern, controlled that opening 45 minutes of the first game suggests this is one that Brendan Rodgers’ side will need to mine something special to take anything from the game.
The arrival of Tom Rogic and Moussa Dembele in the second period in Germany seemed to alter the balance of the game somewhat although to be fair by that stage, Bayern were already easing the tie out.
Still, though, it seems likely that Dembele will be back to lead the line tomorrow night with the French forward’s power and pace a key facet as Celtic look for what will be a necessary out-ball at times. If so, it will be the striker’s first start in the competition this season following his troublesome hamstring injury issues.
It was on this stage last term where Dembele truly announced his arrival at Celtic. His brace against Manchester City in set the tone for his season and he will be astute enough to know that it is in the Champions League where the real currency of his burgeoning reputation lies.
In many ways, given the much quoted disparity in resources, simply being amongst such company is Celtic’s reward itself. The club will enjoy the financial rewards that the tournament offers but with Rodgers proclaiming an insistence that they aren’t in there just to make up the numbers then these games offer a platform to chart progress.
Last term there were draws in Glasgow and Manchester against Pep Guardiola’s side with courageous and intoxicating performances to match.
It will be interesting to see just how Rodgers sets out his stall tomorrow night.
Gone is Patrick Roberts, with the English winger pulling his hamstring in the weekend draw with Kilmarnock. His loss will be keenly felt by Celtic given the fact he was one of the few in Hoops who looked comfortable in the surrounds of the Allianz Arena a fortnight ago rather than being intimidated.
“It looks like a hamstring so we will get a scan on that,” said Rodgers after the game. “It was frustrating for him as I thought he started the game very well in those one-v-ones. I would suggest he would probably be out for a few weeks.”
James Forrest, however, has enjoyed a decent start to the season and will be charged with deputising for Roberts. More interesting is how Celtic will go at the back.
Nir Bitton will be expected to take his place alongside Dedryck Boyata with Jozo Simunovic injured while Kieran Tierney and Mikael Lustig will be placed on the flanks.
Bayern have been rejuvenated by the return of veteran manager Jupp Heynck- es and it is difficult to underestimate the magnitude of the task that Rodgers’ side face tomorrow night.
THERE is a realism amongst the vast majority of Celtic fans about where the club are in the context of European football and it is not the defeats of late that have caused consternation, but rather the manner of them; the losses to PSG and Bayern amounted to a sheer filleting.
Those results gave rise to a suggestion that Rodgers sets his team too openly in European football, a way that makes them easy prey to the likes of the great and the good of the Champions League.
And yet, there is something to be lauded in the manner in which the Celtic manager appears determined to stick to his guns. His philosophy is in keeping with the manner in which the Hoops support have traditionally wanted to see their team play but at the same time then there has to be an allowance that the sobering experiences of Barcelona, PSG and Bayern can take place.
Tomorrow night, Celtic will look to play their own way against a team who have pretensions of winning the tournament.
In that vein there will not be changes in philosophy but in