| Match Pictures | Matches: 2017 – 2018 | 2017-18 Pictures |
Trivia
- Short tour of Austria & Cen Europe
- Celtic are to reward their captain Scott Brown with a testimonial, the club has announced.
- Linfield won their first leg 1-0, so presently appears Celtic will face them in Champions League qualifiers.
- Chelsea starlet Charly Musonda is closer to Celtic switch
- Celtic sign Kundai Benyu, claims he discovered the club wanted to sign him while watching the William Hill Scottish Cup final on television.
- Highly-rated 19 year-old midfielder Kundai Benyu joins from Ipswich Town/Inv Caley. The 19-year-old attracted interest from Tottenham and West Ham. The English youngster of Zimbabwean descent was out of contract with a six-figure compensation fee.
- Brendan Rodgers insists there’s no desire to sign his son Anton despite the former Swindon Town midfielder getting a run out in Celtic’s friendly victory over BW Linz.
- Linfield remain favourites to secure a Champions League second qualifying round tie with Celtic after leaving it late to defeat La Fiorita at Windsor Park.
- Ex-Celtic boss Ronny Deila has called Dave King “stupid” for claiming Celtic have only won two-in-a-row because Rangers weren’t in the top flight. Can’t disagree.
- Ex-Celt Shaun Maloney has joined Aberdeen for 1yr; good luck to him.
- Pedro Caixinha bans green boots from Ibrox
Transfer window:
In: Johnny Hayes (Aberdeen); Kundai Benyu (Ipswich/Inv Caley)
Out: Eoghan O'Connell to Bury (free); Efe Ambrose signs for Hibs; Christie (loan to Aberdeen)
Review![[Untitled]](https://wikifoundryimages.s3.amazonaws.com/043010f0f23d6d21a7ae81f4955bf3a7 "[Untitled]")
(Luigi of KDS)
I was at the game and it was pretty lacklustre.
They were the more vibrant team but when we changed our whole team they were obviously lacking in fitness!
I can't recall a full team being subbed before but that made a difference to us and meant that we got more space.
We went to a back 3 and seemed to flood the midfield to give moussa something to run onto.
Overall it meant that we didn't lose but we gained much needed fitness.
(Tenebaum of KDS)
Second half was much better, Wien couldn't keep up the press with all those fresh legs on the pitch. Thought Ralston looked good, got a KT type nastiness about him, snarls into challenges which is nice to see. Some of those tans are a bit suspect mind, Hendo looks like he spent a year lost in the outback.
Teams
CELTIC (4-1-2-3)
Gordon (Hazard 63); Lustig (Ralston 63), Sviatchenko (Simunovic 63), Boyata (Izaguirre 63), Tierney (Miller 63); Brown, (Bitton 63), Armstrong (Henderson 63), McGregor (Rogic 63); Forrest (Hayes 63), Griffiths (Dembele 63), Sinclair (Mackay-Steven 63)
Not Used: Aitchison, McCart, Doohan
Goals: (Dembele pen. 73)
RAPID VIENNA (4-4-2)
Knoflach (Sterbinger 46); Pavelic (Thurnwald 38), Dibon (Sonnlietner 46), Wober (M Hoffman 46), Schrammel (Bolingoli 46); Murg (Jelic 46), Auer (Schwab 70), Schwab (Ljubicic 46) Keles (Kuen 46); Joelinton (Prosenik 46) Szanto (Schaub 46)
Not Used: S. Hofmann
Goals: (Joelinton pen. 45)
Pre-season friendly
Ertl Glas Stadion, Amstetten
Saturday, July 1, 2017
RAPID VIENNA…1
(Joelinton pen. 45)
CELTIC…1
(Dembele pen. 73)
Referee:
Attendance:
Articles
- Match Report (see end of page below)
Pictures
Forum
Articles
Dembele scores from the spot as Celts draw with Rapid Vienna
http://www.celticfc.net/news/12860
By: Mark Henderson on 01 Jul, 2017 18:01
Pre-season friendly
Ertl Glas Stadion, Amstetten
Saturday, July 1, 2017
RAPID VIENNA…1
(Joelinton pen. 45)
CELTIC…1
(Dembele pen. 73)
MOUSSA Dembele scored from the spot on his comeback from injury to earn Celtic a share of the spoils against Rapid Vienna in their second match of pre-season
Joelinton had given the Austrian Bundesliga outfit the lead with a penalty on the stroke of half-time after Craig Gordon had brought the striker down in the box.
But Dembele, playing his first match since he picked up a hamstring injury in the Scottish Cup semi-final victory in April, coolly cancelled that out with 17 minutes left on the clock, after Jonny Hayes has been fouled in the box by Manuel Thurnwald.
Brendan Rodgers made five changes to the team that started against Blau-Weiss Linz three days ago for Celtic’s second match of their pre-season programme.
James Forrest, who had come off the bench to score the only goal of the game against Linz to get the Invincibles off to a winning start in Austria, came into the starting XI alongside Craig Gordon, Dedryck Boyata, Kieran Tierney and Scott Sinclair.
Dorus de Vries, Jamie McCart, Calvin Miller, Jonny Hayes and Gary Mackay-Steven were the players to drop out.
As the match got underway in glorious conditions in Amstetten – a town around 60km east of Linz – both teams quickly enjoyed periods of possession, but it was Rapid who enjoyed the better of the early chances, with Gordon making early saves from Joelinton and Tamas Szanto.
Although there was also a healthy contingent of Celtic supporters dotted all around the Ertl Glas Stadion, the majority of the crowd were there to see the Austrian side, and they were on their feet in the 11th minute when Szanto rounded Gordon and rolled the ball into the empty net, but the forward was flagged for offside.
Moments after Erik Sviatchekno had made a timely tackle on Eren Keles in the box, the Scottish champions had their first meaningful sight of goal as Stuart Armstrong lashed wide from distance.
But the main threat was still coming from Goran Djuricin’s side, and Celtic had a lucky escape when Stefan Schwab intercepted Gordon’s pass and lobbed the keeper, only to see it strike the post.
Thomas Murg then had a couple of opportunities for Rapid, the midfielder blazing over on the half-volley, before bringing out a fabulous reaction save from Gordon with a stinging shot.
As the interval approached, the Hoops had a chance to test goalkeeper Tobias Knoflach when Leigh Griffiths was fouled 20 yards from goal, but the hit-man was foiled by the wall from the resultant free-kick.
And on the stroke of half-time, a defensive error from the Bhoys saw them go in behind. Dedryck Boyata’s errant pass was seized upon by Joelinton, who was felled by Gordon as he bore down on goal. After the referee pointed to the spot. Joelinton picked himself up and picked his spot from 12 yards, finding the far corner.
Celtic made a more promising start to the second half, enjoying prolonged periods of possession, with Mikael Lustig glancing a header over from Griffiths’ free-kick.
Dedryck Boyata headed wide from another Griffiths set-piece after Brendan Rodgers’ side had a forced a succession of corners, before the Bhoys changed their entire personnel just beyond the hour-mark.
With the new-look Hoops side settling into their stride, Rapid, who had made 10 changes at the interval, spurned a golden chance to level the match when Prosenik raced into the box and picked out the unmarked Kuen, who blasted wide with the goal at his mercy.
It would prove a costly miss as the Invincbles levelled the match shortly after. New Bhoy Jonny Hayes darted beyond Thurnwald and was sent tumbling by the Rapid defender in the box.
Once again, the referee awarded a spot-kick and Dembele gave a reminder of his composure from 12 yards by coolly finding the far corner.
And as the clock ticked down, it was the visitors who looked the more likely to claim a late victory, with Tom Rogic having a shot charged down in the box following an inviting cross from Calvin Miller. Next up for Brendan Rodgers’ side is Tuesday’s friendly against Slavia Prague.
CELTIC (4-1-2-3) Gordon (Hazard 63); Lustig (Ralston 63), Sviatchenko (Simunovic 63), Boyata (Izaguirre 63), Tierney (Miller 63); Brown, (Bitton 63), Armstrong (Henderson 63), McGregor (Rogic 63); Forrest (Hayes 63), Griffiths (Dembele 63), Sinclair (Mackay-Steven 63)
Not Used: Aitchison, McCart, Doohan
RAPID VIENNA (4-4-2) Knoflach (Sterbinger 46); Pavelic (Thurnwald 38), Dibon (Sonnlietner 46), Wober (M Hoffman 46), Schrammel (Bolingoli 46); Murg (Jelic 46), Auer (Schwab 70), Schwab (Ljubicic 46) Keles (Kuen 46); Joelinton (Prosenik 46) Szanto (Schaub 46)
Not Used: S. Hofmann
Ralston relishing pre-season experience in Austria
http://www.celticfc.net/news/12862
By: Mark Henderson on 02 Jul, 2017 16:00
ANTHONY Ralston believes his involvement in Saturday’s draw with Rapid Vienna was another valuable experience towards his aim of becoming a first-team regular in Paradise.
The 18-year-old featured for the second half of the 1-0 victory over Blau-Weiss Linz in Celtic's opening pre-season fixture in Austria.
And he also introduced just beyond the hour-mark in the encounter with Rapid to help Brendan Rodgers’ side fight back to secure a share of the spoils through Moussa Dembele’s late penalty.
Ralston, who made his first start for the six-in-a-row champions towards the end of the season against St Johnstone, is aiming to make further inroads into the top team over the coming campaign.
And the talented teenager told Celtic TV that being part of the club’s pre-season preparations and coming up against the likes of Rapid Vienna can only help him take his game to the next level.
“It was brilliant again,” he said. “I was involved in pre-season last year in these types of games and it’s always tough coming back in after a short break but all the lads are all still fit and have kept in good nick.
“For myself, it was a great test against a very good team in hard conditions as well. I will take it all on board and learn from it. It was a good experience and I enjoyed it.
“It’s been a great experience for me to come in and be involved. I am learning all the time, playing with experienced players and working with great coaching staff. I have enjoyed it all, taking it all in and learning.
“I will always working hard. I will never get ahead of myself or have a big ego or be big-headed. I will always remain grounded and keep trying to learn and better myself.
"Playing alongside great players and playing against great opposition is only going to make you better. You want to play against teams like Rapid Vienna and it’s only going to make me a better player.
“I am working as hard as I can to prove I can get a shot," he continued. "That’s the aim and I’m looking forward to the season ahead and hopefully I can overcome a lot of challenges. I have set myself targets and goals and hopefully I can achieve them, and we will see how the season goes.”
And the full-back showed his growing maturity by operating in an unfamiliar position when he came on against the Austrian Bundesliga side.
“It was a new role for me as a centre-back in three at the back,” he added. “You just have to have the belief in that you can fill in that position and the manager did so it gave me the confidence to try something new. It was a new challenge and hopefully I showed the manager I can fill in there as well."