Wednesday 18th October 2017 Kickoff:1945hrs Bayern Munich v Celtic Football – Europe – Champions League Bayern Munich are already under new management this season having relieved Carlo Ancelotti of his duties following an underwhelming start to their season. The Italian was duly replaced by an old favourite in Jupp Heynckes who returns for another spell in charge. They face Celtic in what is an important fixture for them now having lost heavily to PSG in their previous Champions League game. Their opponents are coming off the back of an impressive win in Brussels against Anderlecht and although rated massive underdogs, are in confident mood ahead of this one.
The defeat to PSG in Paris was the last straw for the Bayern board who saw fit to act early in the season as the team were struggling. Losing 3-0 to anybody would have been tough to take for thus club but it was more the manner of the performance that night which meant the writing was on the wall for the man who led them to Bundesliga glory in his first two seasons. A number of top players had been out of form for months and the hope is that the return of Heynckes, even if it is just until the end of the season as expected, will see a vast improvement. He was extremely unfortunate in how he left the club the last time having won a historic treble just days before Pep Guardiola took over. His latest reign got off to the perfect start with a comprehensive 5-0 win over Freiburg on Saturday and although there is still a bit to go until Bayern are back to their formidable best, it’s an ominous start for their Bundesliga opponents, and Celtic.
Celtic fans would be forgiven for fearing the worst when the draw for this group was made and then after match day when they got thumped 5-0 by big spending PSG. It was a real lesson for Brendan Rodgers men who have been invincible domestically but they responded in the best way possibly by ending their away day hoodoo in the group stages of the Champions League by winning 3-0 away to Anderlecht. The Hoops survived a nervy start to the game before growing into it and were fully deserving of the win. It leaves them level on points with Wednesday’s opponents but they will be realistic enough to think they are still very much playing to finish third and ensure they’re in European competition after Christmas. The win over Anderlecht – and the margin of it – has given them a great chance of doing just that and that should allow them to approach this double header against the Germans, and the game away in Paris, with little pressure and the hope they can pick up some points that would be seen as a bonus.
Bayern Munich v Celtic Betting Tip
Celtic are likely to be boosted by the return of influential captain Scott Brown who has been missing since picking up an injury in that win over Anderlecht. Rodgers will have to do without his main central defender though, as Jozo Simunovic will be missing through injury. The visitors were always going to be up against it anyway but being without a key defender is going to make it even more difficult. Bayern were barely out of second gear when brushing aside Freiburg but they know they’ll have to raise the tempo of their game in this one to avoid any unnecessary scares in terms of qualification. They’re protecting a phenomenal home record in this competition and it’s hard to imagine anything other than a win for the hosts. Celtic will be looking for improvement at this level once again and have to defend better than they did against PSG, but even at that it’s unlikely they’ll have enough to get anything.
Celtic are a team built on attack and that does leave them exposed at times which Bayern are likely to take advantage of, at the same time it will see the visitors create chances of their own and over 3.5 goals is the selection in this one.
Over 3.5 goals 7/10 @ Betfair
