TALKING CELTIC

Similarly, people have spoken of Kieran Tierney making it to the top level; on nights like last night the 20-year-old offered a compelling case to suggest he is there already.

His drive and football acumen were visible as early as the fifth minute when, from a Bayern Munich corner-kick, Tierney was the catalyst for as good a chance as any that Celtic created in the game. Nicking in to clear, Tierney went on the run before supplying Forrest. The winger kept the move going, pushing forward, before delivering the ball to Stuart Armstrong. The Scotland midfielder was hesitant as he collected meaning that a fine move culminated with a weak finish.

They were brave on the ball, in Forrest and Callum McGregor and Armstrong they had pace and menace.

It was visible when Forrest bolted forward, cutting inside and exchanging passes with Armstrong. The move broke down with an offside flag but it was further indication that Celtic were keen to land a couple of punches of their own.

A minute later when Moussa Dembele, in to lead the line for his first start of the Champions League group stage this season, rolled Jerome Boateng before curling a shot that dragged wide of the mark.

ALL of which made it particularly difficult to stomach when Bayern winded them with a goal that came from nothing.

Goalkeeper Sven Ulreich’s speculative punt up the field was greeted by the Hoops defence as though an adder had fallen from the sky, prompting Craig Gordon to bolt outside his box.

Kingsley Coman was cute in knocking it past the Hoops goalkeeper – and seemed to be aided by a swift dink of his left arm – before simply rolling the ball into the exposed net.

The goal punctured that early belief, the verve and swagger they had in the early stages.

But on the cusp of the half hour mark Celtic broke away at pace – Armstrong and Dembele exchanging a swift one-two with the midfielder’s wide ball almost finding Dembele lurking at the far post, only for David Alaba to stick out a leg and avert the danger.

Celtic emerged after the restart unchanged and within the

James Rodriguez calls for physio for Javi Martinez who injured himself scoring his side’s winner, with Callum McGregor having equalised (right, top) following Kingsley Coman’s opener (bottom)