Ueda Shines as Feyenoord Defeats Bayern Munich; Furuhashi's Goals Disallowed in Celtic Win
In a stunning display during the Champions League preliminary phase on Wednesday, Japan's Ayase Ueda contributed to Feyenoord's impressive 3-0 victory over Bayern Munich at their home ground, De Kuip. Coming off the bench late in the match, Ueda found the back of the net just six minutes after his arrival, ensuring Feyenoord's progression into the knockout stage by side-footing a goal past the renowned goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.
The match opened with a goal from Mexico's Santiago Gimenez, who struck in the 21st minute before successfully converting a penalty during first-half stoppage time. With this win, Feyenoord confirmed their position among the top 24 teams in the league phase.
Meanwhile, fellow Japanese forward Kyogo Furuhashi faced a frustrating night as three of his goals were disallowed in Celtic's narrow 1-0 victory over Young Boys at Celtic Park. All three disallowed goals occurred in the first half: two were ruled out for offside, while the other was deemed a foul in the buildup to the attempt. Despite this setback, Celtic managed to secure their place in the knockout rounds thanks to an 86th-minute own goal by a Young Boys defender.
In a dramatic conclusion to the match, Celtic's Daizen Maeda received a straight red card with just a minute remaining, leaving the Scottish side to complete the game with ten men.
Furuhashi's future with Celtic remains uncertain, with reports from French media outlet Le Parisien suggesting that the club has reached an agreement for a transfer to Rennes for a fee of approximately 12 million euros. The 30-year-old has consistently been a key player for Celtic, achieving double-digit goals in each of his four seasons with the club, including the current campaign, where he has already netted ten goals, tying him for the most in the league.
Feyenoord's victory and Celtic's progression highlight the competitive nature of the Champions League, showcasing the talents of Japanese players on the European stage.
