Bayern Munich 'got away with one' to sneak into last 16 after face of monumental Celtic effort
Published 18/02/2025 at 23:27 GMT
Owen Hargreaves praised Celtic's incredible effort at the Allianz Arena as they fell to a late Alphonse Davies goal that knocked them out of the Champions League. The former Bayern midfielder said that the Bundesliga leaders "got away with one" as Celtic wasted their early chances. Davies' last-minute scramble sealed a 3-2 aggregate win for Vincent Kompany's side and a place in the last 16.
Highlights: Bayern mount late show to deny brave Celtic
Video credit: TNT Sports
Owen Hargreaves said that Bayern Munich "got away with one" against Celtic after Alphonso Davies snatched an equaliser to send his team through to the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League in the final minute of stoppage time.
The result was a 1-1 draw on the night, with Bayern winning 3-2 on aggregate thanks to a 2-1 win at Celtic Park in the first leg.
Extra time was beckoning as the Scottish champions were put ahead by Nicolas-Gerrit Kuhn, but they were unable to withstand the sustained pressure that Bayern exerted in the latter stages.
Despite Kasper Schmeichel making a good stop on Leon Goretzka's header, he was unable to stop Davies scrambling and turning the ball home from close range.
"So unlucky for Kasper," Hargreaves said. "He made a brilliant save, but he's just unfortunate and it just falls to Alphonso Davies and there's nothing he could really do.
"But Bayern got away with one today. Obviously, in front of their own fans, they'll be relieved, but they weren't at their best, that's for sure."
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Celtic can undoubtedly hold their heads high after being able to match the Bundesliga leaders for lengthy spells of the game, but ultimately succumbed to Bayern's pressure.
Schmeichel made nine saves as he tried his best to keep his side in the tie, only for Davies to break Celtic hearts.
Brendan Rodgers' side had some excellent early chances and it became clear they would regret wasting them as Bayern settled into their game and began to monopolise possession.
"You can see the stats, they obviously dominated, but Celtic were brilliant in the early part of the game," added the former Bayern midfielder.
"After showing Bayern way too much respect in Glasgow, they really went for it and played brilliantly. They were really good with the ball. They deserved to score, but when you have that much pressure [Bayern], possession, and shots, it's hard for Celtic to get out.
"That's where the goal comes from, Alphonso Davies just gambles, he wins the ball in a brilliant area and it leads to the goal. But credit to Celtic, if that's how you're going to go out, that's how you go down swinging.
"They really went for it and I thought they played exceptionally tonight."
After managing to stumble through the tie, Bayern will face either Atletico Madrid or domestic rivals Bayer Leverkusen in the next round.
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FC Bayern Munich
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Celtic
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