Celtic suffered a 1-2 home defeat to Bayern Munich in Champions League Matchday 4 this week. The result eliminates Celtic from contention to advance to the round of 16 this year. Advancing out of a tough group with Bayern and Paris Saint-Germain was always going to be difficult, but there are still lessons that can be learned from this match.
Post-Match Talking Points: Celtic vs Bayern Munich
Boyata/Briton are not good enough at the elite of Champions League
The opening goal by Kingsley Conman was an easy enough ball played over Celtic centre-back Dedryck Boyata and unfortunately the keeper, Craig Gordon was unable to deal with it. It is clear that the area Celtic need to strengthen most is the centre-back. The lack of top-notch options in the centre of defence continues to cause problems for Celtic in the Champions League. Boyata, Jozo Šimunović, and Erik Svitchchenko are all struggling to step forward and be the leader/organiser that they crave.
Meanwhile, Nir Bitton is a holding midfielder playing centre-back. He has deputized well, and not looked out of place in the SPL. However, when you play against the stars of Arjen Robben, Robert Lewandowski, and Kingsley Coman one needs to be naturally comfortable in the position.
The night James Forest came of age
Winger James Forest has been someone who splits Celtic fans on his consistency and end product. He has also been ignored at times by ex-Scotland manager Gordan Strachan. Strachan doubted his ability to handle the pressure of the national team. However, last night the young man really scared world class David Alaba. He was consistently taking on the Austrian, trying to be positive with every touch, and of course provided that wonderful through ball for Callum McGregor’s goal. The Parkhead faithful will be hoping he can continue his form in Europe, as they aim for a Europa League run.
Kieran Tierney puts forward a claim as best British left-back
Kieran Tierney continues to get rave reviews from everyone North of the border and you can see why after his performance against Bayern. The 20-year-old showed a maturity beyond his years as he showed he is able to go forward and defend with equal aplomb. His pace and his crossing ability enables him to link up with the likes of McGregor and Dembele and enables him to be an attacking asset which most teams in Europe would love from their full-back. Performances like this one against Bayern will put Tierney ahead of the likes of Danny Rose and Ryan Bertrand for the title of the best British left back.
Two days ago, Celtic announced the news that their fans were craving that star left-back Tierney has signed a new six-year contract. However, this new contract is most likely to mean that Celtic are able to maximise the asking price with reportedly up to 17 Premier League clubs scouting the Scottish international last night.
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