Celtic v Bayern Munich: “It’s going to be quite a loud one. So again, anything’s possible,” Alistair Johnston

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·1 de febrero de 2025

Celtic v Bayern Munich: “It’s going to be quite a loud one. So again, anything’s possible,” Alistair Johnston

Celtic defender Alistair Johnston spoke to the media yesterday ahead of the Champions taking on Motherwell at Fir Park on Sunday afternoon…

Thomas Mueller of Bayern Munich celebrates scoring his team’s first goal with teammate Joshua Kimmich during the UEFA Champions League match between FC Bayern München and SK Slovan Bratislava at Football Arena Munich on January 29, 2025. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

Q: How does Bayern Munich sound?

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Alistair Johnston: “I think when you looked at the two options between Bayern and Real Madrid, they both were, well, some big European powerhouses. So, I think for us, we were kind of just looking forward to whoever we got, it’ll be an amazing experience. And again, a great opportunity for us to go and show Europe what we’re all about.”

“And it’ll be a really, really fun first leg having it at Celtic Park. I know it’ll be loud, and it’ll be a fixture that everyone’s kind of circled and excited for. So that’s to come now in two weeks, barely. It comes around the corner pretty quick. So we’ll focus on that a bit more when it gets a little closer. But yeah, no, an amazing fixture.”

Harry Kane of FC Bayern München runs during the UEFA Champions League match between FC Bayern München and SK Slovan Bratislava at Football Arena Munich on January 29, 2025. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

Q: Would you have rather had maybe a more sort of winnable type of tie or is the glamour tie the one you would want?

Alistair Johnston: “It’s funny you say that because I was looking at all the clubs that are left and it’s quite an impressive list of the who’s who’s of European football. So I don’t really think there is, yeah, as you’re even saying, an easier, I know what you’re trying to get at. Yeah, no, look, Bayern is coming into this and they’re expecting to be competing to lift this trophy at the end of it. Every team is when you go into this tournament, you’re trying to, you know, make it to the final. And they’re a team that, I mean, you ask the bookies, I bet they’re pretty probably right up there in terms of actually having a chance really doing it. So again, it’s a difficult draw.

Leroy Sane of FC Bayern München looks on during the UEFA Champions League match between FC Bayern München and SK Slovan Bratislava at Football Arena Munich on January 29, 2025. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

“For us, I think it’s one that we’re all really looking forward to. You know, having a first leg at home can be something to build on. It’s gonna be really important that our crowd’s right behind us from the get go. I can imagine it’s going to be quite a loud one. So again, anything’s possible. We just need to really come out firing right from the get go and hopefully give ourselves a chance going to that second leg and put some pressure on them. It’s a top, top team. It’s a team that’s been utterly dominant domestically over in Germany for the past decade or so. Obviously, last year, Leverkusen took the title. I think they’re top of the league and just such a strong outfit. So it won’t be an easy task, but again, one that I think we’re all excited for.”

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Birmingham, 29th January 2025. Alistair Johnston during the UEFA Champions League match at Villa Park. Photo: Cody Froggatt / Sportimage

Q: How gutting would it be if there were no fans in that second leg for you guys?

Alistair Johnston: “We just got word that that’s kind of being looked at by the UEFA. So it would be definitely disappointing for our fans. And I think it’d also be disappointing just for the Champions League in general, because I think our fans are known around Europe as being so loud. You can even hear it just talking to some of the Villa players after like, well, you know, when equalised just seeing the scenes.

Celtic fans celebrate during the UEFA Champions League match between Aston Villa and Celtic at Villa Park on January 29, 2025. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

“Something that all fans want. You want to have that atmosphere, that give and take within the stadium. You know, it makes the football match really feel like a football match. And I think it’d be definitely a disappointment if they’re not able to come. But again, that’s kind of out of our hands. Hopefully that, you know, there’s something that can be decided on that works out where we can have our fans there, because I think it just adds to the whole experience, not only for our fans, but also for the Munich fans. So yeah, we’ll see. But hopefully that gets sorted pretty quickly.”

Q: When the club were charged the first time, obviously the fans heeded the warning, there was no pyrotechnics and whatnot. Is it a frustration that it’s just taken one fan to throw one object onto the field and it could, you know, be a detriment to thousands going over to Munich?

Alistair Johnston:“Yeah, I get that frustration. Yeah, one person’s actions can potentially affect, you know, the whole supporters group. But again, it’s one of those ones I actually didn’t even realize that we were on probation. It’s one of those kind of things that we probably heard in passing, but didn’t really take too much to it. I get it. UEFA’s got to police it. They need to be safe for all the fans going. But again, it’s one of those ones we just really want our fans there. It makes such a difference, not only for us on the pitch, but just for the whole atmosphere. And I think that, you know, the game benefits from that. And I think that we saw that at Villa Park.

Celtic fans show their stupidity and selfishness by lighting flares during the UEFA Champions League match between Aston Villa and Celtic at Villa Park on January 29, 2025. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

“I think if you asked anyone that was at the match, I think it’d be one of their favourite matches, not only just for, you know, obviously Villa got the result, but I think just for what the Celtic fans brought to the match, the give and take. And you could look up in the crowd and you could tell how engaged everyone was. I think that’s something that the sport’s all about. So yeah, hopefully, you know, that one pyro doesn’t ruin it for everyone. But again, that’s out of our hands now, unfortunately.”

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Q: Can you take us to the Villa Park match when, you know, two goals in five minutes, fair enough. What does an away support do to you guys on the field? What does it give you?

Alistair Johnston: “Yeah, they’re just something to lean on. And I think, honestly, we learned a lot from that Dortmund game, and it was similar to that. You know, the second goal being a deflected one that goes in over Kasper and it kind of had a feeling like, oh no, is it going to be one of these again? But the Dortmund match, our fans were kind of stuck all the way up there and it was really tough to feel, you know, that they were there.

Celtic fans celebrate with an Irish flag during the UEFA Champions League match between Aston Villa and Celtic at Villa Park on January 29, 2025. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

“We could hear them, but you couldn’t really see them. At Villa Park, they were right there. They had that whole corner, and you could feel them urging us on like, come on, we’re in this. Because we actually, you know, we started the game, we had a bit of possession a little bit and like, okay, we can go toe to toe with these guys. And obviously they scored too quick on pretty much their first attacks. It’s like, all right, we need something to latch onto.

“And our fans gave us that. Again, that’s something that’s so important when you’re at these places, you know, having something you can lean back on and have that support to realize, okay, let’s just steady the ship here. Let’s get through these next couple minutes. And obviously, yeah, when you get the first one, our crowd livens up to another degree altogether. And then you get the equalizer and all of a sudden, you’re in a proper European match here. And our fans felt it, their fans felt it.

UEFA Champions League 2024 / 2025, Celtic Glasgow vs. Young Boys Bern YB – Celtic Park Glasgow, Alistair Johnston. Photo JOERAN STEINSIEK

“And I think that that was something that, you know, we really grew into the match with, is having their support there and we could feel their energy. Yeah, it’s something that really does help. I’ve experienced now big matches being played without away support, and I know how difficult that is compared to having them there. So yeah, hopefully, hopefully in Munich we’ll be able to bring over a solid chunk of fans. But again, we’ll just have to wait and see.”

Q: Going back to the football itself, obviously you’ve played probably your best performance in the tournament so far was against the German opposition. Does that give you genuine confidence going into the home leg that you can make your mark?

Alistair Johnston: “Yeah. Again, we’ve played a couple of German teams now. We have a pretty good sense of what they’re about. They’re unbelievably big and physical, but that’s what the level is. These top, top leagues, these top teams. But I agree with you. “It does give us something to look at and understand that, look, that’s one of the top teams in Germany. They have to come to our place. They have to come to Celtic Park and look how difficult we can make it. So that’s something that we need to lean on and build on. But at the same time, this Bayern Munich team, you can make an argument, is another beast altogether. And yeah, we got great admiration for their team.

Players of FC Bayern München pose for a picture prior to the UEFA Champions League match between FC Bayern München and SK Slovan Bratislava at Football Arena Munich on January 29, 2025 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

“This is a team that came into this competition with expectations to be hopefully lifting it at the end of the year. But we’re in the way. So, we’ve got to cherish that opportunity and look at it as a great chance, especially I think having the home leg at first. I know it’s obviously an advantage in the long run having the home leg second, but I think for us, I think it was really important to have it first to give us a real chance here to go out there, impose ourselves and show that we can compete. And again, when you have Celtic Park rocking, it can be intimidating to whoever the team is.”

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Q: You mentioned going toe-to-toe with some of the big teams and how important the crowd are at the Celtic Park. How important has it been in this format to get those two additional games against quality of opposition in Europe to your own experience and your own development?

Alistair Johnston: “The difference between six and eight, it’s felt like a, they call it the league phase. And I’ll tell you what, it feels like a whole other league. It’s been an unbelievable amount of just top-quality matches that’s been added to the calendar. And again, now we’re going to have another two at minimum. So, you look at that like 10 Champions League matches at minimum, it’s an unbelievable accomplishment. And it’s one of the reasons why you signed for this club.

Jacob Ramsey runs with the ball from Alistair Johnston during the UEFA Champions League match between Aston Villa and Celtic at Villa Park on January 29, 2025. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

“It’s a massive, massive draw. Hopefully it’ll continue to be a draw, obviously for future players that want to come here and it helps keep guys, keep them in the building, keep their feet on the ground, that this is a great, great place to be and a great opportunity. Because you can come to a place like this, to maybe some of the bigger European minds it’s a smaller league, smaller country, but we can go out there and we’re going to be playing at the biggest stage, and you have a chance to get and reach the knockouts if you play your cards right. It’s been amazing. And hopefully we can continue that form on that we’ve had throughout this league phase and build on that confidence that we’ve had for ourselves into this knockout round. And yeah, Bayern Munich, it’ll be a pretty cool draw.”

Q: Celtic seem to be feeling a bit more comfortable, watching the side in the past couple of years, playing in Europe and playing the style of football that we do domestically and transferring that over. The game on Wednesday there seemed to be a bit more aggressive in Europe and yourself and the other full-backs pushing quite high, trying to win the ball up really, really high, taking the game to Villa. Was that something that Rodgers tried to instil in you, just that belief that press high and be aggressive?

Alistair Johnston during the Premier Sports Cup Final between Celtic and theRangers at Hampden on Sunday 15 December 2024. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Alistair Johnston: “I think that we’ve seen both sides of the coin. At Atalanta, we defended really well, compact, deep and I think you need to have that at this level. There’s going to be periods where you’re going to be pinned into your own box and you need to show that you can defend your box. I think we did that at a really high level there. And this match, it was a little different just because of how they set up. It almost was a bit more of a narrow 4-2-2-2 when you actually really look at it. And in that way, what you just don’t want to have happen is let their front two pin your whole back four. So, at that point then, it comes on to the full-backs to have to make decisions. And obviously, they know that and every single match is a little different. I think our coaches did a really good job with that.

Adam Idah celebrates with teammate Alistair Johnston after Loris Benito of BSC Young Boys concedes an own goal, resulting in the first goal for Celtic, during the UEFA Champions League match between Celtic FC and BSC Young Boys at Celtic Park on January 22, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

“It’s like, look, you can’t just let Jacob Ramsey, for example, on my side, roll inside. No one goes in there, overload the midfield, get turned and then all of a sudden, you got Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins peeling off. You’re asking for it a little bit there. So, we have to be brave. We have to go up there and go toe-to-toe. But that really was more on a tactical basis. And I think that’s something that, again, we’ve shown a lot of growth in even since I’ve been here.”

“I know you alluded to previous years in this competition. But that ability and the confidence that we can defend in multiple different styles and still have a proper go. But yeah, no, it’s not easy. Look, we were leaving Auston, for example, 1v1 with Ollie Watkins, one of the best strikers in Europe, with half a pitch for Martinez to land it in. You’re asking a lot of every player. Again, I thought the guys stood up well to the challenge and that’s a really top team. They’re deserving of being one of the automatic qualifiers. I think that’s showing the growth of us, not only mentally but also tactically, that we can play different ways. And each match and each opposition is going to pose different threats. And it’s, okay, what can we do to mitigate that, but then also impose ourselves on them?”

Conor Spence

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