MUNICH: Bayern Munich secured their place in the Champions League last 16 with a dramatic 94th-minute equalizer from Alphonso Davies, sealing a 1-1 draw on the night and a 3-2 aggregate victory.
Bayern will now face either Bayer Leverkusen or Atletico Madrid in the next round.
Celtic had taken the lead in the 63rd minute and were on the brink of forcing extra time, aiming for their first-ever win in Germany. However, with Harry Kane sidelined due to injury and time running out, Davies emerged as Bayern’s hero, slotting home after Celtic goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel parried Leon Goretzka’s header.
The German side entered the match with a 2-1 advantage from the first leg at Celtic Park, looking to extend their unbeaten streak to seven matches across all competitions.
Despite Bayern controlling possession in the first half, Celtic posed a greater attacking threat, creating multiple clear chances before the break. Former Bayern reserve player Nicolas Kühn managed to beat Manuel Neuer, but Raphael Guerreiro cleared the ball off the line. Soon after, Alistair Johnston sent a dangerous cross into the Bayern box, only for Daizen Maeda to narrowly miss connecting.
Maeda had another golden opportunity when Dayot Upamecano’s errant pass led to a Celtic counterattack. Kühn set him up, but Maeda fired over the bar despite having teammates in support.
Bayern dominated possession in the freezing conditions but struggled in attack. Serge Gnabry was wasteful, and Kane found himself isolated up front, receiving little service. The England striker’s best effort rattled the crossbar following a pass from Josip Stanišić. However, that was his last action, as he was substituted at halftime due to an injury sustained against Bayer Leverkusen.
Bayern increased their intensity after the break, with Goretzka going through on goal, only to be denied by Schmeichel’s crucial save.
Celtic then took a shock lead when Maeda capitalized on a misplaced pass by Stanišić, setting up Kühn. Min-jae Kim attempted to clear but failed, allowing Kühn to control and fire into the bottom corner, stunning the Allianz Arena and threatening Bayern’s 20-game unbeaten home run in Europe.
Bayern pushed for an equalizer but were limited to long-range efforts. Schmeichel produced key saves to deny Joshua Kimmich, Michael Olise, and substitute Leroy Sané.
With Celtic seconds away from a historic win, Bayern delivered a late twist. Olise provided a pinpoint cross, which Goretzka met with a header. Schmeichel saved, but Davies reacted quickly, bundling the rebound into the net and sending Bayern into the last 16.
