Celtic 1— 2 Bayern Munich

We all know how it works. The diddy team, in this case, Celtic, need to play at the top of their game, if they get a chance they’ve got to take it and our goalkeeper has got to play a blinder for us to win. We all know how it turned out. Stuart Armstrong missed a sitter in front of goal in the first five minutes, Kieran Tiernay had skipped past a few Bayern players and a great bending pass from James Forrest set it up. Craig Gordon wandered outside the Celtic penalty box after a long punt from Bayern goalkeeper Ulreich was missed by central defender Dedryck Boyata who allowed the ball to go over his head. Coman waltzed past Gordon and Michael Lustig’s last-ditch attempt to salvage the situation came to nought. Celtic were one down with defending that was more Welfare League than Champions League. Gordon tried to claim that Coman had handled the ball, but we all know that should be Gordon’s job not Coman’s

That apart, Celtic played well. Tiernay did a good job on Robbins and also marauded forward in the way he usually does when playing domestic fixtures. On the other side of the park Lustig got to grips with Coman in a way that Gamboa did not in Munich. And James Forest was arguably man on the match, the player that Neil Lennon used to rhapsodize about when the rest of us where scratching our head and saying, really? Scott Sinclair took that mantle last night. His chances of an England call-up on this performance about the same as Johnny Hayes’.  When we talk about unsung heroes everyone knows Rodgers is referring to Callum McGregor frequently when he’s brought him off the bench. Last night McGregor started in front of Tom Rogic. I’m a big fan of Rogic, but McGregor does what he does, keeps the ball well, tracks back and scores valuable goals as he did last night, slotting home a Forest pass that split the Bayern defence and putting it through the goalkeeper’s legs. Celtic looked as if they could win it.

Three minutes later the Scottish disease struck and we settled for glorious defeat. Coman for once got to the byeline, he stood the ball up Nir Bitton made a belated challenge on Javi Martinez blooding his face, but the ball was already in the net. Celtic had given the Germans a goal of a start and just couldn’t peg them back twice. At this level that’s not unexpected. Next up PSG and the last group game at home against Anderlecht. The latter is the game that matters. If we play like we did last night then European football is within reach. But it’s worth remembering we’re Scottish so it’s only fifty-fifty, hope Gordon stay in his box and doesn’t decide to go walkabouts.