Celtic vs. Bayern Munich Prediction: Clash of Titans in UCL

• Bayern Munich head to Glasgow in the Champions League play-offs

• Celtic are underdogs but their iconic stadium is a major plus in Europe

• Can Bayern establish a first-leg advantage by winning in Glasgow?

Celtic vs. Bayern Munich Odds

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Celtic vs. Bayern Munich Pick

Back Bayern Munich to win and both teams to score. The German giants should come out on top, but they will now have everything their own way against Celtic.

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Bayern Munich Cruising at Home but Can They Win in Europe?

It would be an understatement to say that last season did not go well for Bayern Munich. Having won 11 titles in a row, the German giants had started to take the Bundesliga crown for granted. Not only did they fail to finish atop the table last term, Bayern even dropped out of the top two. A third-place finish was a source of embarrassment given the club’s financial and structural advantages.

Bayern did slightly better in the Champions League, but given their size and history, nothing short of winning that tournament can be termed a success. Thomas Tuchel’s side reached the semi-finals, where they were eliminated by Real Madrid 4-3 on aggregate. Madrid scored twice late on in the second leg to dump Bayern out. 

Optimism has been restored in 2024/25. Bayern Munich have one hand on the Bundesliga title already. Even if they were to lose to Bayer Leverkusen in a crunch clash this weekend, Vincent Kompany’s charges would be five points clear at the summit of the standings. They are in fine form too, winning each of their six league games since the turn of the year.

Yet despite all that, there are persistent doubts over Bayern’s capacity to win the Champions League. The sportsbooks have them down as fourth-favorites and it would be extremely foolish to write off a team which contains so much talent, but Bayern did not set the league phase alight. Their 12th-place finish is why they have to contest this two-legged play-off.

Bayern won five and lost three of their eight games in the previous stage of the competition. They demolished Dinamo Zagreb 9-2 and beat Paris Saint-Germain, another European heavyweight, but defeats by Aston Villa, Barcelona and Feyenoord show that there is still ample room for improvement.

With this season’s Champions League final being held at their own stadium, Bayern have an extra incentive to go all the way. They must not look too far ahead, though. First up are Celtic.

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Celtic Park Is a Tough Place to Go but Celtic Still up Against It

Celtic fans have not had much to cheer about in the Champions League in recent years. Although they have dominated Scottish soccer over the last decade or so, winning 12 of the last 13 titles. But you have to go all the way back to 2012/13 to find the last time Celtic reached the last 16 of the Champions League.

Brendan Rodgers’ side are one aggregate victory away from advancing to that stage of this edition, but Celtic are massive underdogs against Bayern Munich. Needless to say, everyone associated with the club was hoping for a kinder pairing in the play-offs after Celtic finished 21st (one spot above Manchester City, no less) in the league phase.

Still, the Hoops should be pleased with their performance up to now. A top-24 finish was the target before the season began and Celtic have already achieved that. They only lost two games in the league phase, fewer than Bayern, with victories over Slovan Bratislava, RB Leipzig and Young Boys sending them through.

Celtic are cruising in the Scottish Premiership, where their lead over second-placed Rangers stands at 13 points. They have already won the Scottish League Cup and are overwhelming favorites to make it a domestic treble by scooping the Scottish Cup following Rangers’ shock exit at the weekend.

This play-off against Bayern is a free hit. Whereas the pressure is invariably on Celtic back home, no one expects them to triumph here. Celtic will look to use that to their advantage, particularly in the first leg.

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Bayern Munich May Be Given Scare but They Are Favorites

Few stadiums in the world produce an atmosphere quite like Celtic Park. Glasgow is arguably Britain’s most passionate soccer city, with Celtic and Rangers fans both able to generate an almighty din. Numerous famous players have been awestruck by the noise at Celtic Park on European nights.

Make no mistake, that is a factor. Of course, it does not wipe out Bayern’s technical and tactical advantages. Kompany undoubtedly has more quality at his disposal than Rodgers. But Celtic Park does level the playing field to an extent. Although they will almost certainly lose the tie, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that Celtic avoid defeat in the first leg.

On balance, though, we think Bayern will squeeze past the Scottish giants on Wednesday. Kompany’s team have been defensively solid in the Bundesliga, but their backline can be put under pressure. With their supporters roaring them on, Celtic are capable of doing that.

A clean sheet may be beyond Bayern, then, but they should ultimately have a little bit too much for Celtic. Moreover, the likes of Harry Kane, Michael Olise and Jamal Musiala will back themselves to handle the famous Celtic Park atmosphere.

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How to Watch Celtic vs. Bayern Munich

• Teams: Celtic vs. Bayern Munich

• Location: Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland

• Date and Time: Wednesday, 12 February 2025, 15.00 PM ET 

• How to Watch: Paramount+