JAVI MARTINEZ HEADED Bayern Munich into the knockout stages of the Champions League after Callum McGregor looked to have denied them victory in a dramatic 2-1 win over Celtic tonight.
McGregor’s equaliser in the 74th minute appeared set to make Bayern wait for their place in the next round until Martinez leapt to meet a David Alaba cross just three minutes later.
Kingsley Coman had given Bayern a first-half lead after a disastrous defensive lapse involving Dedryck Boyata and Craig Gordon allowed him to fire into an empty net.
Three points for Bayern, combined with Group B leaders Paris Saint-Germain’s victory over Anderlecht, sees the Bundesliga champions assured of a top-two finish, while Brendan Rodgers’ men are eliminated.
The result was perhaps harsh on Celtic, with little to choose between the sides on the night.
A typically passionate Celtic Park crowd should have been celebrating a goal after five minutes, but Stuart Armstrong appeared surprised that a perfectly weighted cross from James Forrest on the break arrived at his feet.
The ball bounced wide off Armstrong from barely four yards out but Celtic continued to look bright and Moussa Dembele dragged past the right-hand post after boldly running at the Bayern defence.
Things were not quite clicking for Bayern early on and, while the cross that led to Coman prodding wide after 18 minutes was played a touch too far in front of him, the France winger should have done better when he got his feet in a tangle in the centre of the box moments later.
But Coman redeemed himself with the help of some questionable Celtic defending.
A long ball from the boot of Sven Ulreich was allowed to bounce by Boyata, prompting goalkeeper Gordon to desperately rush off his line into no man’s land.
Coman collected and kept his cool to pick a spot in the open net and, while Bayern shot stopper Ulreich will be credited with a rare assist, it was Boyata’s passive defending that made the visitors’ opener possible.
Bayern had Alaba to thank for preserving their lead on the half-hour mark, when the Austria international’s last-ditch tackle denied Dembele a simple tap-in.
Armstrong then forced Ulreich into a diving save with a powerful drive early in the second half, before McGregor sent the home fans into raptures with a well-worked goal.
A delightful throughball from Forrest carved open the Bayern defence and found McGregor, who tucked the ball under Ulreich for the leveller.
But that joy was short lived, as Martinez – who sustained a nasty cut to his eye in the process – climbed above Nir Bitton to nod beyond Gordon for Bayern’s crucial winner, silencing the previously boisterous Parkhead faithful.
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They have been ordered by managent to focus on their remaining games eh..management really cracking the whip there! the games that clearly do not mean a whole lot to them. I think this series is beginning to lose its appeal to the public. Obviously being treated as end of season party by the aussies.shame really, it used to be really good.
It’s just a free holiday for the Aussies
Nonsense. Lions players got into a spot in a night club in New Zealand but I don’t see anyone saying scrap that series. Same with the Irish soccer team on numerous occasions. Should we disband them too? They’re young lads with a week until their next game, it happens in every sport.
Yea it’s not like the British lions were facing an Australian team that were no good ……..equally pointless jolly but more money in it and the hype from $ky is swallowed whole by the egg chasing brigade
Time to knock these test series on the head. No genuine interest in the games and they usually turn into a farce. When players like gooch and Cluxton want nothing to do with it I think it’s indicative of the whole series.
I don’t know where this anti scrap the series sentiment is coming from. For many of the players it’s a privilege to wear the Irish shirt, especially those from the smaller counties. Also, looking at the match on Saturday Breffni Park looked pretty much at capacity. So it still appeals to many of the public.
Ahh the ‘knock it on the head’ bandwagon appears… give it a chance lads, just because some people don’t like it doesn’t mean you have to copy what they’re saying. If you don’t like it, then don’t read the article, you obviously have no interest in it. I have no interest in Association Football, but I don’t go on and comment about how the players are little diving pansies.
Hoy, I see what you did there!
Who cares
I hear they were celebrating their applications for Irish citizenship coming through…
Shock horror….the boys on tour go out for a drink. What ever next….chatting up the local talent? What is the world coming to.
It’s a joke,it’s a free end of season piss up for the ozzies.
A lot of the irish players are still in club champo, and games are been
Moved around to suit everybody.
The only way interest will be generated is if it turns into a brawl with a ball… It should be just AFL no mix.
Must be a quiet day for the journo’s if this is what they call sports news!!
At least the poor indigenous aussies were’nt slumming it in dromoland castle ! They behaved in limerick tho !
“Complaints of noise disturbance by the Australian players”?
Does this not mean the Australian players were the ones complaining about the noise disturbance?
Welcome to Ireland no fun allowed
Their at the Inn at Dromoland not Dromoland Castle or at least that is were their bus is parked up. None of them about when I was in the gym. Their heads must still be sore!!
Aussie Brendan in Galway
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gFZ9p9L2b4