Celtic Fan View: 3 talking points as Bhoys battered in Bavaria

Celtic suffered another tough night in the Champions League as they were beaten 3-0 by Bayern Munich in the Allianz Arena. It was a comprehensive display by the German outfit with the scoreline proving to be kind on the Hoops. We pick out three talking points from the match…

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Bhoys poor in possession

It wasn’t a surprise to see Celtic only have 39% possession but the distribution and quality on the ball was extremely poor. At this level the need to maintain possession is so important to relieve pressure on the defence and build some momentum in the game. The Hoops, though, were far too sloppy and passive as they continued to gift a dominant Bayern side the ball back.

It meant the German champions were relentless in attack and had the platform to suffocate the visitors. The distribution from defence in particular was not up to the standard Brendan Rodgers would like and it was another indicator of the difference between Celtic and the elite sides.

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Subs provide a belated boost

Bayern definitely moved down a gear after going 3-0 up which allowed the Bhoys to threaten Sven Ulreich’s goal in the last half hour. Rodgers sent on Moussa Dembele, Tom Rogic and James Forrest which gave the side an injection of pace and directness. The Celts were unlucky not to pick up a consolation as they tested Ulreich a number of times but lacked a killer in touch in front of goal.

Rogic’s precision opened up Bayern’s defence on a few occasions while Forrest’s ability to drive into space on the counter attack was menacing. With hindsight it’s fair to say both players should have started to provide more thrust on the counter attack.

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The Heynckes effect

It’s the perfect start for Jupp Heynckes in his third spell in charge of the club. After hammering Freiburg at the weekend, his side comfortably dealt with the Scottish champions. The 72-year-old German has already got the Bavarians purring again and is getting more out of certain individuals.

The pace and tempo Bayern played at was overwhelming for Celtic and was somewhat reminiscent of the last time Heynckes was in charge- the treble campaign of 2013. The likes of Kingsley Coman and David Alaba look revived after suffering a lengthy loss of form under Carlo Ancelotti as they ripped the Hoops to shreds down the left flank. Thomas Muller, meanwhile, is back scoring goals. Come the latter stages of the competition, they’ll still be a team to fear.