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'We have to win': Why Celtic will to go for the jugular against Bayern Munich

Celtic captain Callum McGregor says that his team have to believe they can get the better of Bayern Munich on Wednesday night. <i>(Image: Rob Casey - SNS Group)</i>
Celtic captain Callum McGregor says that his team have to believe they can get the better of Bayern Munich on Wednesday night. (Image: Rob Casey - SNS Group)

Callum McGregor says that Celtic have to defeat Bayern Munich at Celtic Park this week if they are to have any chance of progressing into the last 16 of the Champions League.

The Scottish champions welcome the Germans to Glasgow for the first leg of their knockout phase playoff tie on Wednesday night, with the second leg at Munich’s Allianz Arena next Tuesday.

The Celtic captain knows his side are facing a formidable task if they want to stay in the competition, and he thinks that victory on their own patch is a must if they are to have any designs on pulling off what would be considered a huge shock.

“I think if we have any idea of progressing out the tie then I think we have to win,” McGregor said.

“I think that's obvious.

(Image: Ross MacDonald - SNS Group) “You know it'll be a tough game over there, so I think we have to carry something into the away game. Yeah, in my opinion, we have to win.

“In football, and especially the way that we want to play, I think the only way we're going to beat them is by being aggressive and being us.


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“So, we're not going to all of a sudden go 5-4-1 and start smashing it long, that's not us.

“We have to be true to what we want to do and if we do that, then I think we have the team and the profile to cause anyone problems.

“It's then just marrying it up on the night and carrying a bit of luck as well, which we're going to need.”

Another thing that Celtic will need is plenty of belief, according to McGregor, who says they will be approaching the tie against the star-studded Bundesliga leaders with no inferiority complex.

“I think you have to [have belief],” he said.

“It's a big, big task and I'm talking as if I believe we can win, which of course I do, but I'm also not silly, we're playing against one of the best teams in the world.

“So, we have the first game here and we’ll give everything that we've got, and let's see if we can take a lead into the away leg.

“If we don't believe it, then no one else in the stadium is going to. Our performance is going to bring belief to the stadium. Hopefully we can start the game on a positive foot and try and do the things that we want to do.

(Image: Paul Devlin - SNS Group) “I think at that point, the stadium grows in belief and then one or two things might happen in the game and all of a sudden everyone's got this feeling that it could be a special night.

“But I think first and foremost, we want to do ourselves justice, we want to bring our football to the game and then when we come off the pitch, we've left nothing on it, and let's see where we are.”