FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Bundesliga - Bayern Munich v Werder Bremen - Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany - February 7, 2025 Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth/File Photo
GLASGOW (Reuters) - Bayern Munich must be wary of Celtic's winning mentality ahead of Wednesday's Champions League playoff first leg in Glasgow, coach Vincent Kompany said on Tuesday.
The Bavarians, who lead the Bundesliga title race, failed to earn automatic qualification to the round of 16, setting up a two-legged playoff with the Scottish Premiership leaders.
While Bayern are clear favourites to progress, Kompany said Celtic's domestic dominance ensured they would not be pushovers.
"We play against a team that is used to winning, to always go forward," Kompany told a press conference. "The five players they deploy up front are used to scoring."
"This confidence is something you also take into big games. Maybe you defend less deep in your own league but clubs dominant in their own league remain so in big games."
Celtic, who have won 12 of the last 13 Scottish league crowns, are runaway leaders in their league with a 13-point gap to second-placed Rangers, while they are 29 points ahead of third-placed Dundee United.
Bayern have struggled in European away matches this season, having lost three of their four games on the road in the competition.
"We are playing twice against Celtic. So they also have to come to our stadium, also a good atmosphere," Kompany said. "We give them the respect they deserve but if we realise the magnitude of the game we will not treat it any differently than other big games.
"Winning is the goal. Now it is a Celtic away game. I hope we can quickly show what we want to get from it. But it is one of two games and what's important is to qualify," he said.
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Toby Davis)
