Bayern Munich and Celtic, scheduled for February 18, 2025, at the Allianz Arena, is pivotal in the context of the UEFA Champions League playoffs. With Bayern currently leading 2-1 on aggregate, they are favored to secure a victory against Celtic. The predicted formation for Bayern is a 4-2-3-1 setup featuring key players such as goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and forward Harry Kane. This robust lineup includes talents like Jamal Musiala and Serge Gnabry, who have been instrumental in their attacking strategies .
Bayern can be said to be lucky enough to bring the lead to the second leg, considering they were only able to create six shots from inside the penalty box with an xG (expected goals) of 0.7, lower than Celtic which had eight shots from inside the penalty box and xG of 1.37.
ayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga on Saturday 15 February. Xabi Alonso's squad dominated the match by restricting Bayern to just two shots without a single one hitting the net. Leverkusen himself twice hit the crossbar and threw away many golden opportunities.
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However, Bayern coach Vincent Kompany could argue that his team's performance in the match was not very important because they were still eight points ahead of Leverkusen who were in second place.
Those three defeats in Europe are two more than they have experienced in their domestic league, losing just once so far, to Mainz back in December. Their only other defeat was that home defeat to Leverkusen in the German Cup.
VfB Stuttgart, ending an 11-year domination.
Bayern Munich possible starting lineup: Neuer; Stanisic, Upamecano, Kim, Guerreiro; Kimmich, Palhinha; Olise, Musiala, Coman; Kane
Celtic possible starting lineup: Schmeichel; Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Taylor; Hatate, McGregor, Engels; Maeda, Idah, Jota
Celtic's anticipated formation is a 4-3-3; however, they face significant challenges due to injuries affecting crucial players such as James Forrest and Bernardo. The forward line may consist of Maeda, Idah, and Kühn . Despite their offensive potential, Celtic has shown inconsistency in defense throughout the group stage of the Champions League. This vulnerability could be exploited by Bayern's prolific attack .
Statistical analyses suggest that Bayern Munich holds a considerable advantage with an estimated probability of winning at approximately 48.2% . Historically, Bayern has remained unbeaten against Scottish teams in major European competitions over their last thirteen encounters. In contrast, Celtic's struggle against former European champions—having secured only one win from their last twenty-one matches—further exemplifies the challenges they face heading into this fixture . Overall, while both teams have promising elements within their ranks, Bayern Munich appears poised for success based on current form and historical performance.
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