Bayern Munich sealed their qualification to the knockout rounds of the UEFA Champions League as they edged past Celtic in a closely battled encounter. They continue their impressive run under new head coach Jupp Heynckes with an astonishing 100% record in the Champions League and the Bundesliga.
The Bavarians took the lead in the first half through Kingsley Coman but that was nullified by a second-half strike from Callum McGregor. However, Javi Martinez was on hand to score the winner to hand Bayern all three points against the Celts.
Here are the Bayern players rated in their win over Celtic.
Sven Ulreich (7.5/10): Made more saves than his counterpart Craig Gordon, as the former Stuttgart keeper managed to keep the opposition at bay.
Rafinha (7.5/10): Looked nervous coping up against the occasionally marauding Kieran Tierney but made up for it with some excellent buildup play from the back.
Jerome Boateng (7/10): A very fragile performance from the German International, who often seemed out of pace against the likes of Moussa Dembele and Co. Boateng desperately needs to step up his game to the next level, judging by his recent form.
Niklas Sule (7.5/10): Sule was better in his defensive duties compared to his partner in crime Jerome Boateng. His muscular presence in the backline was intimidating for the opposition.
David Alaba (9/10): An excellent performance from the Austrian International. Although he had a few troubles dealing with James Forrest on the right flank, Alaba was more than influential in his offensive output.
Arturo Vidal (7/10): An unconvincing display from Arturo Vidal, who, despite struggling a little against the notorious Celtic midfielder, somehow got the job done.
Javi Martinez (9/10): Martinez ruled the midfield with his calm and composure with the ball. He used his defensive skills to prevent the opposition to create anything from the middle third while his passing abilities helped Bayern circulate the ball at an astonishing rate.
Corentin Tolisso (7/10): Failed to make any impact as the French newcomer was often isolated by the Celtic defenders. He was rightly taken off later on in the game.
Arjen Robben (7.5/10): It was one of those rare nights in football, where the ever impressive Arjen Robben got outclassed by a defender. In this case, it was Kieran Tierney on the left flank. However, that’s not to say that Dutchman wasn’t involved in anything at all.
James Rodriguez (8/10): Was by far the most active Bayern attacker on the night. James looked very impressive playing the role of a number nine. He frequently tracked back to help out his side in carrying the ball across the final third but was unfortunate not to score a goal himself.
Kingsley Coman (8.5/10): Was a complete menace in the final third throughout the game. The French youngster is constantly improving under the leadership of Jupp Heynckes, which only bodes well for the team.
Subs
Sebastian Rudy (7.5/10): Came on for Arturo Vidal around the hour mark. Rudy brought a more calming influence in the centre of the park, which eventually helped Bayern seeing out their fragile one-goal lead.
Joshua Kimmich (NA): Replaced Corentin Tolisso for the final bits of the game. The runout might prove to be very useful as he readies himself to start against Dortmund this upcoming weekend.
Thiago Alcantara (NA): Got a final few minutes of runout. Thiago will no doubt be an important part of the Bayern lineup when they meet Dortmund this weekend.
