UEFA Champions League 2024-25: Bayern scores last-gasp equaliser against Celtic to book round of 16 spot
Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies snatched a last-gasp equaliser against Celtic for a 1-1 draw on Tuesday to advance to the Champions League Round of 16 with a 3-2 aggregate win.
It will next face either Bayer Leverkusen or Atletico Madrid, depending on Friday’s draw.
Davies scored in stoppage time after former Bayern reserve player Nicolas Kuehn had given the Scots a shock lead in the 63rd minute in their bid to overturn a first-leg deficit and win a first game in Germany in 16 attempts.
Having lost the first leg 2-1 in Glasgow, Celtic came agonisingly close to forcing extra time with a bold performance that had the hosts on the backfoot for much of the game.
With the Bavarians made to sweat from the start, Celtic’s Kuehn saw a shot cleared on the line by Raphael Guerreiro in the 16th minute before Daizen Maeda narrowly missed connecting with an Arne Engels cross in front of goal a little later.
Bayern, which drew 0-0 at reigning German champion Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday, had to wait until the stroke of halftime for its own opportunity, striker Harry Kane hitting the woodwork with a shot
ALSO READ: Club Brugge stuns Atalanta as it progresses to last 16
The England captain, who made little other impact and was also nursing a knock to the head from the Leverkusen game, was taken off at halftime. Bayern came close again seconds after the restart, with Leon Goretzka failing to beat keeper Kasper Schmeichel in a one-on-one.
It was Celtic, however, who broke the deadlock with a deserved goal when Kuehn slotted home following two defensive errors by the hosts to put Brendan Rodgers’ team in the driving seat.
Bayern upped the tempo and came close with Goretzka and Leroy Sane before Schmeichel pulled off another superb save to deny Joshua Kimmich.
The keeper did everything right to stop Goretzka’s effort in front of goal in stoppage time but could do nothing when Davies tackled the ball over the line on the rebound for the equaliser that sent the Germans through to the knockout stage.
