Bayern’s Champions League knockout play-off promises to be a cracker, given they will face either Celtic or Manchester City for a place in the last 16. “We need to build momentum, be mentally ready for this round and also look forward to it. It’s all in our own hands,” said head coach Vincent Kompany. “Everyone knows about City’s qualifiers. Celtic would be a special away game. Both City and Celtic will go into the play-offs with a good feeling. We need to build up energy and be up for these games,” the Belgian added. Here’s all you need to know about Bayern’s two possible opponents ahead of Friday’s draw at 12pm CET in Nyon.
Manchester City
City came from behind to beat Club Brugge 3-1 and ultimately qualify for the play-offs after a mixed bag of a league phase. The champions of England started the campaign with seven points from the first three games but then managed only two from the following four, including a 4-1 defeat at Sporting Lisbon and throwing away a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3 at home to Feyenoord. The back end of 2024 was a real struggle for Pep Guardiola’s side as they also slid down the Premier League table, but they look to have found their feet again and are back up to fourth in the domestic standings and eventually through to the next stage in Europe.
A special fixture for Kompany?
A tie with Manchester City would obviously be very special for Kompany in particular. He spent over a decade as a player there (2008-19), was captain and won the Premier League four times.
Manchester City’s squad
City’s squad is filled with some huge names. As well as the experience of Ilkay Gündogan, Kevin De Bruyne or Bernardo Silva, the 2023 Champions League winners also boast the remarkable talents of Phil Foden and Erling Haaland. However, a cruciate ligament injury to 2024 Ballon d’Or winner Rodri has left a substantial gap in midfielder. City strengthened during the January window with the signings of Omar Marmoush up front and defenders Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis.
Bayern vs. Manchester City: head-to-head
Bayern and City have previously met eight times in the Champions League, with three FCB wins to four for the English side, plus a draw. The most recent encounter was in the 2022/23 quarter-finals. City won 3-0 in Manchester before a 1-1 draw back in Munich on their way to winning the competition for the first time.
Celtic
Celtic qualified for the Champions League as champions of Scotland and ended the league phase with 12 points. As expected, the Glasgow club were particularly strong at home, earning 10 points from four games at Celtic Park, including a 3-1 win over RB Leipzig. Their famously vocal supporters are a real boost for Brendan Rodgers’ side, who haven’t lost at home for over a year and are in a commanding position in the Scottish Premiership, holding a 10-point lead over arch-rivals Rangers.
Celtic’s squad
Celtic’s squad combines mentality, experience and youth. Alongside vastly experienced goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel and captain Callum McGregor, they also boast midfield engine Arne Engels, who joined from Augsburg in the summer, and Nicolas Kühn. The 25-year-old German forward will be familiar to Bayern supporters, having played for the reserves between January 2020 and summer 2021. Celtic’s top scorer this season Kyogo Furuhashi joined Rennes in the winter window, but in return they re-signed Jota, who scored 28 times in 83 games for the Hoops between 2021 and 2023.
Bayern vs. Celtic: Head-to-head
Bayern have met Celtic four times before in the Champions League. Back in the 2003/04 group stage, FCB won 2-1 in Munich before a goalless draw in Scotland. The most recent encounters were in the 2017/18 groups as Bayern won 3-0 at home and 2-1 in Glasgow.
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