It has been seven years, three months and 10 days (or 2,661 days to be exact) since Celtic last welcomed Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich to Celtic Park, though tonight’s last 16 playoff clash may be the side’s most important clash of them all.
The fourth time the sides have faced each other, Bayern have won three of those games, meaning Celtic will have to do something they have never done before when they host Harry Kane and co. in tonight’s mammoth clash. The first knockout game between the two teams, Celtic have only ever sparred with the German outfit in Champions League group stages previously.
The sides last faced each other on Halloween night 2017, where a tight game was decided late on via a 77th minute goal from Javi Martinez. French forward Kingsley Coman’s 22nd minute strike had opened the scoring for the visitors, but when Callum McGregor cancelled it out in the 74th minute, Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic side looked on course for a draw - only to be hit by a sucker punch just three minutes later.
But what happened to that team that lost 2-1 to Bayern Munich on Tuesday 31 October 2017? Here’s where all 13 Celtic players who featured that night are now, including a 51-goal hero, three retirements and a returning icon.
5. LCB: Nir Bitton
The Israeli midfielder was competent both in the centre of the park, or in defence, and performed well for the club in both positions. He remained with Celtic until 2022, before returning home to sign for Maccabi Tel Aviv, where he remained until last month. Now 33, Bitton joined FC Ashdod during the January transfer window, signing a contract until 2026. | SNS Group
6. LWB: Kieran Tierney
Had things been different, Tierney could have been lining up for Celtic again tonight, after the club tried to push through a loan deal in the January window. Set to re-join the club in the summer on a Bosman free transfer, the Scottish international is still the club's record sale following his £25million move to Arsenal in 2019. | SNS Group
7. RM: Callum McGregor
Scorer of the equalising goal against Bayern Munich in 2017, McGregor is one of two players who still remain at the club. Arguably the first name on the team sheet in 2025, the midfielder is now viewed as one of the club's greatest ever captains, and leads the side out against the German giants tonight. | SNS Group
8. CM: Scott Brown
Another iconic Celtic captain, Brown won a total of 10 Scottish Premiership titles, six Scottish Cups and six Scottish League Cups before to departing to sign for Aberdeen as a player and assistant manager in 2021. Now retired, he's currently flying-high with Scottish Championship outfit Ayr United, following a stint with Fleetwood Town in England. | SNS Group