Bayern Munich scored with the final kick of the game to rescue a draw against a brave Celtic in Munich, giving the hosts and perennial Champions League giants a barely deserved 3-2 aggregate win in the knock out clash.
Alphonso Davies scored in the fourth minute of stoppage time for Bayern Munich to reach the last 16.
Davies bundled the ball over the line after Leon Goretzka’s effort was kept out by Kasper Schmeichel, saving Bayern the ordeal of extra time after German player Nicolas Kühn had scored against his former club on 63 minutes to draw Celtic level on aggregate.
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“Probably one of the cruellest [results in a Celtic jersey], the performance of the players, they gave about everything and pushed a really good Bayern side all of the way,” said Celtic captain Callum McGregor.
“Sometimes football’s cruel and you don’t get what you deserve but I have to say I’m so, so proud of the players and the way they played and handled themselves.
“We come off that pitch with no regrets. It’s a real, real sore win but I think we can be proud of ourselves.
“It was set up for us to try and nick the next one as well, and even if we had to go to extra time we fancied ourselves as well.
“I think anybody watching that game of football tonight would see a really good Celtic team.”
His manager Brendan Rogers called it a heroic performance. On matchday two of the competition his team was thumped 7-0 in Germany by Dortmund.
“It was [a sucker punch], not what the players deserved especially right at the very end,” said Rogers
“They gave so much to the game.
“We didn’t give away too much, I felt our concentration was good and denied them space, and then we had some quality and great moves, and actually had the best chances in the game I felt.
“A real heroic performance, just unfortunate at the end.
“It was just such a cruel way to not even lose the game but to go out of the competition.
“I think our European credibility has been restored this season, I think we’d built that up from last year, that’s my takeaway from this season.”
Schmeichel, who looked gutted at the finish, summed it up: “Frustration, disappointment, I thought it was a heroic performance, very brave.
“Football is a cruel game sometimes, that’s the emotion at the moment.
“I was loving every minute so another 30 would have been amazing.
“There’s just so much disappointment but in the next few days when we take a step back and analyse the fact we’re away to Bayern and are disappointed in drawing, I think that says a lot when you think of where we started the competition to where we got to.
“It will stand us in good stead for the future.
“We’ve got a lot of young players in there that haven’t played at this stage, this level, with this kind of pressure so it’s a tough learning curve but in the long run it will probably be a good one.”
Earlier AC Milan were to left rue Theo Hernandez’s second yellow card – for diving – as Feyenoord advanced to the Champions League last 16 at the former European champion’s expense with a 1-1 draw in the second leg of their playoff.
“In soccer everything changes in a second,” said Milan forward Santiago Giménez, who scored one of the competition’s fastest goals against his former team, Feyenoord, in the first minute.
Hernandez was sent off for a dive in the 51st when Milan were dominating after Giménez’s opener had leveled the tie. Feyenoord had won the first leg of the playoff 1-0 last week.
But Milan’s defence looked anything but assured after referee Szymon Marciniak showed Hernandez another yellow card for his dive. The France defender had earned his first before the break for lashing out at a Feyenoord player after a foul on teammate João Félix.
Hugo Bueno crossed for Julián Carranza to head Feyenoord level on the night in the 73rd, giving the Dutch team a 2-1 win on aggregate.
“We’re very disappointed. We started well and scored straight away. It seemed like Feyenoord couldn’t hurt us,” Giménez said of the game’s pivotal moment.
“Today it happened to Theo but it can happen to anyone, this is football. We have the utmost respect for Theo. We will give him all our support.”
AC Milan’s senior advisor and former star Zlatan Ibrahimović was fuming: “Feyenoord were not better than us, we just killed ourselves. We are disappointed, the referee has been severe with Theo Hernández with no warning before the red card… Theo is not an actor, he does his best.”
Feyenoord’s Givairo Read was shown a red card following another melee after the final whistle.
Feyenoord will play either Inter Milan or Arsenal in the round of 16.
Club Brugge eliminated Atalanta with a 3-1 win in Bergamo for a 5-2 win on aggregate. Nineteen-year-old forward Chemsdine Talbi scored twice as the visitors gave Gian Piero Gasperini’s team a lesson in efficiency.
Benfica reached the last 16 with a 3-3 draw against Monaco in Lisbon, giving the Portuguese team a 4-3 win on aggregate.
The Roarhttps://www.theroar.com.au/2025/02/19/footballs-cruel-heroic-celtic-heartbroken-at-death-by-bayern-goal-ac-milan-killed-ourselves-with-red-for-dive/‘Football’s cruel’: ‘Heroic’ Celtic heartbroken at death by Bayern goal, AC Milan ‘killed ourselves’ with red for dive
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