Brendan Rodgers springs major Celtic surprises with 19y/o debutant on bench as Bayern reveal Harry Kane status
Big calls made across team in Munich
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has made two huge calls for his starting XI against Bayern Munich tonight at the Allianz Arena.
Trailing the Champions League play-off tie 2-1 from the first leg in Glasgow last week, Rodgers has revealed his team for a must-win match in Bavaria if Celtic are to stand any chance of progressing to the last 16.
The two major calls centre around his left-back and No 9. Jeffrey Schlupp, a transfer deadline day signing from Crystal Palace, has been picked ahead of Greg Taylor after an impressive performance last weekend against Dundee United, while Jota comes in for Adam Idah - meaning that Daizen Maeda will be deployed the No 9 role.
The latter call is not too much of a surprise. Maeda is Celtic’s top scorer this season and moving him centrally towards the end of the first leg gave Celtic fresh impetus in attack.
Kasper Schmeichel starts in goal, while Alistair Johnston is at right-back and there is an all-American centre-half pairing in Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty, while Schlupp completing the back four.
The midfield three consists of captain Callum McGregor, Arne Engels and Reo Hatate, while Jota and Nicolas Kuhn are the wide forwards in a front three, with Maeda through the middle.
Taylor and Idah are on the bench alongside reserve keepers Vini Sinisalo and Scott Bain, defenders Liam Scales, Maik Nawrocki, Anthony Ralston and Dane Murray, midfielder Luke McCowan plus forwards Yang Hjun-jun, Johnny Kenny and Jude Bonnar - a 19-year-old who has never featured for Celtic before.
Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany, meanwhile, has named Harry Kane in his starting XI despite the striker being a doubt for the match due to a facial injury.
Unsurprisingly, Manuel Neuer is in goal and captains the team. Josip Stanisic is preferred at right-back and Raphael Guerrerio is at left-back, with a centre-half partnership of Dayot Upamecano and Kim Min-jae.
In midfield, Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich will sit deep, with an attacking midfield trio of Michael Olise, Jamal Musiala and Serge Gnabry ahead of them. Kane leads the attack.
Bayern have an array of riches on the bench, including Alphonso Davies, Kingsley Coman, Thomas Muller, Joao Palhinha and Leroy Sane.
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