2013-07-27: Celtic 1-2 Borussia Mönchengladbach, Friendly

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Trivia

Friendly match, mixture of youngsters & experienced.
Celtic released statement of their concern over non adherence of fan safety by fans in Section 111,home of the Green Brigade. The club is right and the use of flares is potentially dangerous.
Summertime and the transfer window is underway.
Out so far: Miku, Lassad, Rogne, Wanyama, Hooper, Rogne
In so far: Amido Baldé, Van Dijk, Mouyokolo
Hooper left Celtic to Norwich for £5m (est).
St Johnstone recorded a great 2-1 agg win over Rosenburg in the Uefa cup. Excellent performance and result (Hibs were hammered 7-0).

Review

(kellbhoy of KDS forum)
I’m afraid we were outclassed there a bit, but great experience for the youngsters. We seem to have another good right back in the making (Fisher, who was voted MOM). Good quality game minutes for Ledley and Matthews, and Charlie looked sharp enough after his injury lay-off. Zaluska I thought had a good game and kept the score respectable. Stokes free kick goal was superb, but otherwise he was anonymous, like Balde and Watt for most of the game, but that is due to the visitors playing an excellent possession game. We could hardly get the ball off them and when we did, they soon won it back. Mouyokolo looked comfortable in possession but none of our CBs looked too comfortable when MB had the ball in our area.

Teams

CELTIC (4-4-2) Zaluska; Fisher, Mouyokolo, Ambrose (Mulgrew 46), Waters (Matthews 63); Herron (Henderson 68), Brown (Stokes 46), McGregor (Ledley 63), Commons (McGeouch 46); Balde (Atajic 81)Watt
Not Used: Fasan
Goals: Stokes 74

BORUSSIA MONCHENGLADBACH (4-4-2) ter Stegen; Basket (Wendt 71), Stranzl, Dominguez (Brouwers 71),Daems (de Jong 71); Raphael, Kramer, Xhaka (Herrmann 63), Younes (Nordtveit 63); Kruse (Jantschke 71), Rupp (Hrgota 63)
Not Used: Roth Homes
Goals: Xhaka 36, Hrgota 66

Referee:
Attendance:

Articles

Match Report (see end of page below)
Audio Report: Paradise Report

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Articles

Youthful Celts lose out in pre-season friendly

By: Mark Henderson on 27 Jul, 2013 16:59 Friendly
Celticfc.net
Celtic Park, Glasgow
Saturday, July 7, 2013

CELTIC…1
Stokes 74

BORUSSIA MONCHENGLADBACK…2
Xhaka 36, Hrgota 66

A YOUTHFUL Celtic side were beaten 2-1 by Borussia Monchengladbach in Paradise as the Hoops contested their final pre-season friendly.

Granit Xhaka rifled the visitors in front with a sting shot from 20 yards and substitute Branimir Hrgota doubled their advantage in the second half.

A fantastic free-kick from Anthony Stokes gave the Hoops hope but they couldn’t find a leveller in the closing stages.

There were a number of changes from the team that defeated Cliftonville on Tuesday night as Neil Lennon looked to give as many players from the squad some much-needed game time, whilst keeping several of his key players fresh for next week´s crucial UEFA Champions League clash with Elfsborg.

Notably, Lukasz Zaluska replaced Fraser Forster between the sticks, while new Bhoys Steven Mouyokolo and Amido Balde made their first starts at Paradise.

They were joined in side by anumber of players from the club´s Development Side including, Darnell Fisher, Calum Waters, John Herron and Callum McGregor.

The Bundesliga side, who finished eighth last season, made the brighter start in a sun-kissed Paradise with the lively Amin Younes firing over in the fourth minute.

And only some diligent defending from youngster Fisher, prevented them from taking the lead, the full-back clearing Lukas Rupp´s close-range shot off the line after a purposeful attack.

While the Hoops were enjoying some periods of possession, the German outfit continued to look more threatening, particularly through the prominent Younes. His tricky run into the box nearly created an opening but the attacker was crowded out before he could properly pull the trigger.

Balde looked to be held back as he attempted to fasten on to a through ball but best chances continued to fall to Monchengladbach.

After Kris Commons had been dispossessed on the halfway line, a slick counter-attack saw Max Kruse bear down on goal but his heavy first touch allowed Zaluska to rush out and clear the danger.

Another crafty piece of play from Younes gave Raphael a sight of goal inside the box but the winger failed to make a clean connection and the ball ran harmlessly wide.

Kruse was next to try his luck from 18 yards after he was picked out in acres of space on the edge of the area. His shot was goal-bound but it deflected to safety.

However, the German outfit finally made their pressure pay in the 36th minute. McGregor´s pass was intercepted, and that allowed Xhaka to drive forward and unleash an unstoppable effort into the net from 20 yards, via the underside of the bar.

Two brave blocks from Mouyokolo prevented the visitors from adding to their tally before the break, and Celtic reappeared for the second-half with three new faces as Charlie Mulgrew, Dylan McGeouch and Anthony Stokes replaced Efe Ambrose, Scott Brown and Kris Commons.

Strong play from Balde saw the striker hold off one challenge before seeing a shot deflected wide to give the home crowd greater encouragement.

Watt was then brought down by goalkeeper Marc Andre Ter-Stegen after latching onto a wonderfully-weighted ball over the top from Mulgrew. Stokes took the free-kick from the angle of the box and found the side-netting.

But Monchengladbach doubled their advantage midway through the second half as substitute Branimir Hrgota clinically finished into the far corner.

However, Celtic reduced arrears shortly after as Stokes curled a free-kick beyond Ter-Stegen after Joe Ledley had been felled on the edge of the area.

Both sides had efforts in the closing stages butneither could find the net, andthe Scottish double winners will now turn their attention to more important mattersas Elfsborg come calling on Wednesday.

Website Man of the Match: Darnell Fisher