Bayern’s Kompany Cautious of ‘Confident’ Celtic Ahead of First Leg Playoff

Bayern Munich needs to be cautious of Celtic’s winning mentality ahead of the first leg of their Champions League playoff in Glasgow on Wednesday, according to coach Vincent Kompany (38), who spoke on Tuesday.

The Bavarians, currently leading the Bundesliga standings, missed out on automatic qualification for the round of 16, resulting in a two-leg playoff against the Scottish Premiership leaders.

Despite Bayern being the clear favourites to advance, Kompany stressed that Celtic’s domestic success means they are not to be underestimated.

“We are up against a team that is accustomed to winning and strives to progress,” Kompany told reporters during a press conference.

“Their five attacking players are all used to finding the back of the net.”

“This level of confidence can be pivotal in crucial matches. While teams may defend less rigorously in their own leagues, clubs that dominate domestically carry that strong mentality into bigger fixtures.”

Celtic, having clinched 12 of the last 13 Scottish league titles, currently lead their league by a significant 13 points over second-placed Rangers and are 29 points clear of third-placed Dundee United.

Meanwhile, Bayern have faced challenges in European away matches this season, suffering defeats in three of their four away games in the competition.

“We have two encounters with Celtic, and they’ll also be visiting our stadium, which will have its own vibrant atmosphere,” Kompany remarked.

“We respect them as they deserve, but we acknowledge the importance of this game and will approach it just like any other significant match.”

“Winning is our objective. This first leg is away at Celtic, and I expect us to quickly demonstrate our intentions. However, it’s just one of two matches, and what truly matters is qualifying,” he concluded.