Harry Kane punished Celtic and provided his Bayern Munich side with a cushion in their two-legged Champions League playoff encounter.
Celtic were beaten 2-1 by Bayern Munich on their home turf and they now travel to Munich next week, with a fighting chance, but outsiders to progress into the last 16 of Europe’s elite competition.
Many felt that if Brendan Rodgers’ side were going to cause damage, then it was going to be at Celtic Park, especially given that the team were unbeaten at home this season and flying in the Premiership.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 1 |  CelticCeltic | 25 | 21 | 3 | 1 | 73 | 12 | 61 | 66 |
| 2 |  RangersRangers | 25 | 16 | 5 | 4 | 51 | 19 | 32 | 53 |
| 3 |  Dundee UtdDundee Utd | 25 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 32 | 28 | 4 | 37 |
| 4 |  AberdeenAberdeen | 25 | 10 | 5 | 10 | 32 | 38 | -6 | 35 |
Nicolas Kuhn’s opening-minute strike sent the fans into dreamland, but just like the Young Boys game during the league phase, the linesman had his flag up and it was offside.
Celtic just didn’t get going in the opening 45 minutes, as they were lacking that bite in their attacking play and the likes of Daizen Maeda, Adam Idah and Kuhn weren’t getting on the ball enough.
Michael Olise made matters worse after scoring on the stroke of half-time and then Celtic gifted Kane a goal that left Thierry Henry fuming and in utter shock.
READ MORE: Brendan Rodgers reveals what he told Celtic players after Harry Kane Bayern Munich goal
Thierry Henry stunned by Celtic’s defending for Harry Kane’s goal for Bayern Munich
The issue here is that Kane warned the Celtic backline, and Alistair Johnston, in particular, just before half-time when his header from a corner hit the side netting.
The England striker was free as a bird then and had even more space when he volleyed home minutes into the second half.
Henry was left perplexed by Celtic’s defending and asked ‘how is that even possible’, before adding ‘I don’t understand what I have seen’, as he told CBS Sports on Paramount+ (12/02/25 at 10:05 pm).
On Kane’s first chance to score from a corner: “Then Harry Kane, you would like to think that he was going to put that into the back of the net,” said Henry. “Johnston doesn’t do his job well there. A great delivery from Olise.
And then Kane’s goal: “I just don’t understand what I have seen now,” added Henry. “Let’s talk about the finish of Harry Kane and how he was alone and everything. Well rehearsed. A corner.
“However, you did the same thing as in the first half. They are doing this. How can you have Harry Kane, in your six-yard box on a corner volleying alone at the back post, when he almost did the same thing in the first half? That’s too much!
“You can’t concede a goal like that, I am sorry! He nearly punished you on the first corner and then you leave him alone?
“It’s okay, he is going to move, he is going to move. You are going to leave Kane alone in the six-yard box volleying the ball when you are trying to win a game that’s already difficult?! You are giving them a goal like that. How?!
“Then after, you are asking for a penalty and the crowd to help you. How is that even possible? How?! If we do that in training, the goalkeeper will say ‘that will never happen in the game’.
“It did happen. Champions League. Bayern Munich. At your place. He nearly did it in the first half. Harry Kane twice alone.”
Kane’s record this season ahead of the return leg against Celtic in the Champions League
Give Kane that room in Munich and then this tie will be over before anyone can blink, so Celtic have punished themselves already and they can’t do it again.
Celtic have a fighting chance in Germany, but you still expect Bayern to go through, so hopefully, that will bring the best out of the team.
The only issue is Kane and the ridiculous goalscoring form he is in this season – in fact, when isn’t he in this type of form!
| Competition | Apps | Goals | Assists | Minutes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Bundesliga | 19 | 21 | 8 | 1.532′ |
 | UEFA Champions League | 8 | 7 | 1 | 720′ |
 | DFB-Pokal | 2 | 1 | 1 | 72′ |
| Total 24/25: | 29 | 29 | 10 | 2.324′ | |
There is a reason why he is one of the world’s most feared strikers and with a goal a game to his name, keeping him off the scoresheet is now going to be far tougher for the return leg.
Although, Celtic, especially Auston Trusty and Cameron Carter-Vickers, can take comfort from the fact that he didn’t score from open play.
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