“Perhaps Bayern will have that kind of a superiority complex that might just help Celtic,” Willie Miller | OneFootball

Willie Miller knows a thing or two about playing Bayern Munich. Back in the day, Miller was apart of an Aberdeen side that knocked the Munchen out of the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1983 in what was a major scalp and shocked the footballing world…

The former Scotland international reckons that the Germans were complacent then and underestimated the Scots, and that there could be room for Celtic to exploit that too tomorrow night in Munich.

The ex-Dons man pointed to various points throughout the years were complacency has been the undoing of Bayern in Europe and even referenced Manchester United’s famous victory in the Champions League final of 1999 as another case in point.

Daizen Maeda of Celtic scores against Bayern Munich in the Champions League match on February 12, 2025. Photo IMAGO.

“It’s not impossible but it’s huge and Celtic will know that”

Speaking ahead of the game in the Allianz Arena on Tuesday night, Miller said: “Celtic going into the game, it is a huge task for them to turn a deficit round away from them. But it’s not impossible but it’s huge and Celtic will know that. Perhaps Bayern will have that kind of a superiority complex that might just help Celtic in their journey.”

“I think Celtic have got to go in there with belief,” he said via Daily Record. “Celtic are a top quality team and they’ve done well in the Champions League, so they’ve been tested at a high level. This is probably a step further and because you’ve got the deficit, you’ve got the one goal deficit to try and turn that around.

“So they’ll be getting in as underdogs. I think Bayern will feel that perhaps the job was done at Celtic Park. But Celtic have got to go in there with the belief that anything can happen in football.”

Celtic starting XI Celtic v Bayern Munich, UEFA Champions League, Knockout Round Play-offs, First Leg, Celtic Park, 12 February 2025. Photo Stuart Wallace Shutterstock

“There was a feeling they would beat us in the Cup Winners Cup”

The Scottish title-winner pointed out the famous collapse from Munich that night in Barcelona all those years ago before the turn of the Millennium, saying: “There was a feeling they would beat us in the Cup Winners Cup and we have seen it throughout the years with Bayern.

“Look at Manchester United and the Champions League final that Sir Alex Ferguson won against them. The goals were scored late on and you just felt that Bayern had thought that the job had been done. You’re getting into time added on and Man Utd are down, but they managed to turn it around. So football can be like that.”

Jamal Musiala of Bayern Munich is challenged by Callum McGregor of Celtic during the UEFA Champions League Knockout Play-off First Leg match between Celtic and Bayern München at Celtic Park on February 12, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

The Germans took the Dandies too lightly

Milller’s Dons team managed a draw in Munich back then and reckons the Germans took the Dandies too lightly, which can be where Celtic can get their edge. “My memory is that it was a very good all-round performance from the team,” he added.

“We got a good result but it could have been even better because we had some chances. I think they maybe took us a little bit too lightly. I think sometimes the Germans have that kind of a way about them. They were full of West German international players as well with a great deal of experience and quality.

Leroy Sane of Bayern Munich passes the ball whilst under pressure from Arne Engels of Celtic during the UEFA Champions League Knockout Play-off First Leg match between Celtic and Bayern München at Celtic Park on February 12, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

‘We were up against some of the best players in the world’

“We were up against some of the best players in the world at that time as well. It was a very satisfying result but obviously there’s a lot of work still to be done in terms of taking the game back to PIttodrie. We still felt that at that time the German teams were the best teams in Europe.”

The Aberdeen legend had to suffer that night in West Germany, as he had his tooth knocked out trying to defend his goal from Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and if the Hoops are to cause an upset, it will require dedication to the case such as that.

Adam Idah of Celtic battles for possession with Dayot Upamecano of Bayern Munich during the UEFA Champions Knockout Play-off First Leg match between Celtic and Bayern München at Celtic Park on February 12, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

How Miller lost a tooth playing Bayern Munich

“He was famous for his overhead kicks actually,” Miller admitted. “That’s basically what happened. “I was daft enough to stick my head in front of one of his overhead kicks and caught his boot in my front tooth and it just popped out. It was rather painful at the time, but you just play on. I was going to say take it in the chin, but of course it was more in the teeth. He was very kind about it actually. After the game, he asked if he wanted him to help me him find my tooth. We had a quick look, but we couldn’t find it.”

Harry Kane of Bayern Munich celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Knockout Play-off First Leg match between Celtic and Bayern München at Celtic Park on February 12, 2025.. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

‘They had a very short memory of our famous victory against them back in 1983’

Both men were reunited in 2008, when the Dons famously held the European heavyweights to a 2-2 in the UEFA Cup. Recalling that night at Pittodrie, he said: “We actually had Karl-Heinz Rummenige and Paul Breitner for dinner as guests that day in Aberdeen when they came back to play Jimmy Calderwood’s team. They had a very short memory of our famous victory against them back in 1983.

Whenever I brought it up, I was rubber-eared and I just moved on. The 2-2 draw at home was quite an interesting contest. The stadium was completely different. “It’s a magnificent stadium now. Really impressive as you drove up to it. It’s like something from another world, isn’t it?”

The financial package on offer should the Hoops do the unthinkable is incredible, and Miller recounts Aberdeen’s nice payday from their own clash with Bayern: “They were just too good for us at that time and beat us 5-1 It was a huge task, a major challenge for the team at that time, but it was lucrative financially,” he said.

“From that point of view, it allowed Aberdeen to play against one of the best teams in Europe, make a bit of money in the process.”

Paul Gillespie

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