Bayern Munich appears to be poised for advancement in the new Champions League playoff round, as AC Milan, Atalanta, and Monaco experienced defeats in their first-leg matches on Wednesday.
In a notable performance, Bayern secured a 2-1 victory against Scottish champions Celtic, propelled by goals from Michael Olise and Harry Kane on either side of halftime. The teams will meet again in Munich on Tuesday for the second leg.
Bayern’s coach Vincent Kompany emphasized the significance of the win, particularly highlighting that losses in Europe are rare for Celtic fans. “The fans haven’t seen many losses here, especially in Europe, so we appreciate the importance of the game and the victory,” Kompany shared.
Previously, Bayern joined the ranks of esteemed clubs such as Real Madrid and Manchester City, who, despite being recent Champions League titleholders, found themselves in the playoffs after finishing outside the top eight due to the new 36-team format. Madrid had a successful outing with a 3-2 victory over Manchester City earlier in the week.
In other matches, Feyenoord clinched a narrow 1-0 win against AC Milan, thanks to a controversial goal in the early third minute. French goalkeeper Mike Maignan inadvertently allowed a shot from Igor Paixão to slip into the net. This match also marked a challenging debut for new Milan signing Kyle Walker against Feyenoord’s Brazilian winger.
Feyenoord’s interim coach, Pascal Bosschaart, enjoyed a winning start following the dismissal of Brian Priske earlier in the week. Similarly, Benfica managed a 1-0 victory over Monaco, with Vangélis Pavlídis scoring a delicate chip shot shortly after halftime. Monaco faced further difficulties when Al Musrati received a red card just minutes later.
Club Brugge also made headlines with a controversial penalty awarded in stoppage time, leading to a 2-1 win over Atalanta. The match saw teams finishing 24th and 9th in the standings culminating in tight competition for playoff spots.
This playoff format has left the teams ranked from 9 to 24 vying for the remaining entries, emphasizing the importance of each match, especially with the top eight teams advancing directly to the round of 16 set for March.
Harry Kane’s performance was particularly noteworthy, as he scored his 19th career goal against longtime rival Kasper Schmeichel. Kane capitalized on a corner kick situation, demonstrating his scoring prowess, while Schmeichel struggled to defend against both Kane and Olise’s earlier strike.
Celtic managed to reduce the deficit late in the match through forward Daizen Maeda, giving them renewed hope heading into the second leg. Celtic coach Brendan Rodgers expressed confidence despite the challenges, stating, “At 2-1, Bayern are hanging on. Let’s go and have no regrets and see where it takes us.”
On the other hand, Pavlídis is on a scoring spree for Benfica, netting six goals in the Champions League this season, marking him as one of the most in-form forwards. His goal against Monaco showcased his skill in maneuvering past defenders and finishing expertly over the goalkeeper.
However, Benfica’s victory was clouded by an injury to veteran winger Angel Di Maria, who exited the match shortly after substituting in.
In the clash between Club Brugge and Atalanta, a contentious penalty ruled in favor of Brugge sparked regret from Atalanta’s coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who criticized the decision: “We are now going in a direction outside of what football should be.” Despite this setback, Atalanta managed to equalize before Brugge sealed the match with the decisive penalty.
