Anna 
Celtic’s Daizen Maeda scored a late header in the 79th minute, but it wasn’t enough to prevent his team from falling 2-1 to Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League knockout phase playoff at Celtic Park on Wednesday.
Maeda’s goal, which was his fourth in the prestigious European competition, helped to narrow the gap after Bayern had established a commanding lead. The 26-year-old Japan forward’s four goals in the tournament now tie him with Shinji Kagawa and Takumi Minamino as the highest-scoring Japanese players in Champions League history. However, Maeda is the first of the trio to net all his goals in a single season.
Bayern Munich had dominated much of the match, with Michael Olise and Harry Kane both finding the net—Olise’s goal coming shortly before halftime and Kane’s just after the break. Despite the defeat, Maeda’s late strike gave Celtic a glimmer of hope heading into the return leg.
Maeda, along with Celtic midfielder Reo Hatate, played the entire match. Japanese defender Hiroki Ito, who joined Bayern from Stuttgart last June, made his debut for the German giants after coming on as a substitute in the 78th minute. Ito had been sidelined since July due to a metatarsal fracture.
The second leg will be crucial for Celtic’s hopes of advancing in Europe’s top club competition.
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