- Harry Kane and Michael Olise both got on the scoresheet at Celtic Park
- But Celtic pulled a goal back to remain in the tie ahead of the second leg
- LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off! Is there an agenda against Ange Postecoglou?
If Harry Kane is to end his long pursuit of a major prize by lifting this trophy in Munich in May, then there is first work to be done to kill off Celtic.
Kane scored in Glasgow, a city where he never fails to strike goals. He has them for England at Hampden Park, hit the target with Tottenham against Rangers at Ibrox and he completed the set last on Wednesday night at Parkhead.
His 29th of his second season in Bayern colours proved the winner on the night and will give Vincent Kompany’s team a vital edge going into the next week’s second leg of this Champions League play-off.
Michael Olise gave the visitors the lead with a wonderful goal at the end of the first half and Kane made it 2-0 with a volley soon after half time but it proved the cue for the home side to stir into life and produce a late flourish.
Daizen Maeda pulled one back to give hope to Brendan Rodgers and his team as they go to Germany but the Scots may live to regret not finding their rhythm sooner, or goal ruled out in the opening seconds of the game.
Celtic thought they had made the perfect start to their first Champions League knock-out tie in a dozen years when Nicolas Kuhn darted inside from the right and beat Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer with a fizzing drive inside 30 seconds.
Harry Kane scored what proved to be the winning goal for Bayern Munich against Celtic
Michael Olise had earlier put Bayern in front with a thunderous strike from the edge of the box
Daizen Maeda pulled a goal back for Celtic to ensure there is still hope ahead of the return leg in Munich next week
Noise erupted but there was a flag up and Adam Idah had drifted beyond centre half Dayot Upamecano, half a yard offside and firmly in Neuer’s eye line. The goal was ruled out and the visitors having escaped early punishment settled in to dominate possession for long spells.
Celtic dropped deep to protect Kasper Schmeichel in their goal, tempt their visitors onto them in search of the quick counter-attack on the turnover. Bayern were seldom in trouble in the first half. Upamecano and Eric Dier, recalled in central defence, mopped up most things, and yet they found it difficult to penetrate the hooped ranks.
Kane drifted wider in search of space and deeper in search of the ball. His early touches were jeered, his mistakes cheered but he was only fleetingly involved. A wonderful chance came his way with half an hour played.
Leroy Sane clipped a cross onto his head form the left and Kane looked sure to convert as he leapt to make the header.
He met it clean, planted it down and Schmeichel saved with his legs, and Kane turned out to be in an offside position so it would not have counted. Then the England captain headed another chance into the side netting from a corner at the back post.
Kompany’s Bayern have not travelled well in the Champions League. They lost at Aston Villa, Barcelona and Feyenoord and the only ‘away’ fixture they won in the league phase came at a neutral venue on German soil against Shakhtar Donetsk in Gelsenkirchen.
Celtic were within seconds of half-time sanctuary when Olise struck. The former Crystal Palace winger pulled a long Upamecano pass out of the sky with effortless grace, ghosted inside left back Greg Taylor and gave Schmeichel the eyes, shaping to go far post with his left foot before whipping it into the top corner at the near post.
It was a cruel blow for the home side, but Bayern deserved the lead and Kane extended it soon after the interval when he escaped his marker at the back post and volleyed a corner form Joshua Kimminch past
Celtic thought they had gone in front in the first minute but Adam Idah was just offside
Brendan Rodgers’ side fought back in the closing stages but left their charge a little too late
Vincent Kompany’s Bayern are now clear favourites to progress to the last-16
Kane made it 2-0 within four minutes. Unmarked at the back post as he met a corner from Joshua Kimmich on the volley and swept it cleanly past Schmeichel.
It was his 19th goal past the Danish goalkeeper and he scored past him on each of their last six meetings.
Celtic stirred at last, and attacked with a little more freedom and fluency after conceding the second. Reo Hatate had an effort deflected wide and there was a long VAR wait as the Spanish officials ruled there had been no foul by Upamecano on Arne Engels.
Maeda went close when beat Neuer in a race and a cut a shot across the face of an open goal. Then the Japan forward found the net from corner and the home side produced a strong finish but Bayern have a lead to defend in Munich.