Brendan Rodgers believes Daizen Maeda WAS fouled in the build up to Bayern Munich‘s equaliser, but that the Japanese maybe lacked the experience to make sure he got the decision.
Celtic livewire Maeda hit the deck after appearing to be caught on the head by Dayot Upamecano, but French ref Benoit Bastien didn’t halt play, even as Upamecano went over to the felled Maeda to check he was okay. The hosts went 80 yards up the park and Michael Olise delivered a teasing ball that was met by Leon Goretzka’s late run. Kasper Schmeichel saved his header brilliantly, but Cameron Carter-Vickers just couldn’t react quick enough and saw his attempted clearance blocked by the onrushing Alphonso Davies and bundled into the net.
Hoops boss Rodgers felt a free-kick should have been given, but a bit more experience from Maeda would have seen him stay down and make sure the ref knew about it, forcing the issue and denying Bayern the chance to attack. He said: “Yes. I think that’s a little bit of our inexperience at this level. Upamecano was clever, he picked him up. If he says down, it was a knock on the head.
“I felt the referee should have given the free-kick anyway, it would have certainly stopped the game. But maybe a more experienced player or team might have stayed down and then the referee has to stop the game.
“But they didn’t, they played on and then obviously they get the goal. So yes, we were disappointed that we obviously didn’t get that in the build-up.
“I just think it’s experience at the level. The players have come up against top teams, top players at this level and have shown that we’re more than a match.”