The Bhoys are back in town again with a point to prove

Celtic play their first knockout tie in the Champions League since 2013 when they welcome Bayern Munich tonight

- JAMIE BRAIDWOOD

So far in the first season of the Champions League's new inflated format, it has often been difficult to pinpoint the fixtures that matter and the ones that are just making up the numbers. But as

Celtic welcome Bayern Munich to Glasgow for a play-off, 12 years to the day since the last time they hosted a Champions League knockout tie, there will be no doubting the significance of the occasion.

The statue of Jock Stein holding the 1967 European Cup outside Celtic Park ensures they remain one of the continent's grandest names. In the 2012-13 campaign, they could still stand capable of a stirring night at home, beating Barcelona and Lionel Messi on their way to reaching the knockouts. Few could have predicted that a 3-0 defeat to Antonio Conte's Juventus, the result that preceded a last-16 exit over two legs, would have been their last knockout tie until 2025.

But the old group stage became unkind to Celtic. The reality that the economic powers of European football had suddenly accelerated into the distance became clearer as they struggled to even negotiate the qualifying rounds and then, upon returning in 2022 and 2023, finished bottom of the four-team pool. With the old group stage increasingly predictable, Celtic found the ceiling had been raised beyond their reach.