Wednesday’s briefing: Heartbreak for Celtic as Man City target perfect game

Celtic conceded in the fourth minute of stoppage time in their second-leg play-off against Bayern Munich to crash out of the Champions League.

Pep Guardiola predicted Manchester City will need a “perfect game” if they are to overturn their 3-2 aggregate deficit against Real Madrid.

And Arne Slot dismissed the suggestion that nerves are getting the better of title-chasing Liverpool after they dropped points against Everton and survived a scare against Wolves.

Celtic Hearts broken

Celtic suffered the cruellest of Champions League exits after Alphonso Davies scrambled an equaliser for Bayern Munich in the final minute of stoppage time in the Allianz Arena.

The Scottish champions looked set to take the play-off into extra time after Nicolas Kuhn put them ahead in the second half, as they fought back from 2-1 down after the first leg in Glasgow.

Bayern’s last home defeat in European quarter-finals had come against Paris St Germain four years ago and they are unbeaten at home in the Bundesliga this season, whilst Celtic had never won in 14 previous competitive games in Germany.

But Vincent Kompany’s side denied Celtic at the death, Kasper Schmeichel’s save from Leon Goretzka’s header pushed into the path of Davies who scrambled home from close range.

City need perfection

Pep Guardiola said that he “lied” after previously claiming Manchester City had only a one per cent chance of turning around their Champions League play-off against Real Madrid, but added his side would need to be “almost perfect” to make it through.

Real were 3-2 winners at the Etihad Stadium a week ago and City’s manager previously cast doubt on his team’s chances of hauling themselves back into contention in the Bernabeu.

Guardiola knows there is enough pressure on his team but said he hopes they can channel it in a good way and avoid City’s earliest exit in the competition since going out in the group stage in 2012-13.

He said: “We have to make an almost perfect game. The result was not good. We have to attack, we have to score goals.”

Of his assertion that City had just a one per cent chance of progressing, he added: “I lied to you, and you didn’t believe me.

“I said because we were out and nobody would have bet a penny on us. But as the days pass, the enthusiasm returns. We will at least try to give them a fright, then see what happens.”

Nerves not getting the best of Liverpool

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot dismissed suggestions nerves are starting to affect his side and believes his players have the experience to cope with the pressure of a title run-in.

Sunday’s 2-1 victory over Wolves, in which they endured a nail-biting last 25 minutes after the visitors scored, was the sixth match the Premier League leaders have won by the margin of one goal.

The Dutchman has his own experience of winning a title with Feyenoord two years ago but inherited a dressing room full of Premier League champions from 2020 when he moved to Anfield in the summer.

“I think it always helps if you have experienced it already, that’s not only me but also for the players,” he said.

“We do lean on the players because they have to show up and bring the performances in but not in the manner where today or tomorrow they present a meeting on how to deal with the pressure, that’s not how it works.”

What’s on today?

Manchester City face Real Madrid at the Bernabeu seeking to overturn the 3-2 defeat they suffered at the Etihad in the first leg.

Liverpool travel to face Aston Villa seeking to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League to 10 points.

Victory at Villa Park would hand the Reds their biggest advantage at the top since winning the league for the first time in 30 years in 2020.

In the Championship, the bottom two meet as Luton play Plymouth at Kenilworth Road.