2017-07-29: Sunderland 0-5 Celtic, Friendly

Match Pictures | Matches: 2017 – 2018 | 2017-18 Pictures

TriviaSunderland 0 Celtic 5

  • Friendly
  • Celtic win the 'Dafabet Cup' for this friendly match.
  • Friendly to celebrate 20 years of Sunderland's 'Stadium of Light'.
  • Emotion time for Sunderland, as young Bradley Lowery (a Sunderland fan) who received a lot of media attention due to his cancer situation, sadly passed away recently. Celtic fans pay their respect. RIP.
  • McGregor Makes A Point As Celtic Run Riot In Sunderland, scores a hat-trick.
  • Celtic fans attacked by English EDL thugs, one bhoy seriously hurt.
  • Celtic announce season tickets sold-out. Excellent. 52.5k, first time sold out in 12 years.
  • Celtic announce the 'Green Brigade' section of the stadium will be closed for next 2 games after 'serious incidents of unsafe behaviour'. Has created a lot of commotion this week, as has the announcement that SPFL not stripping Rangers of their illicit titles.
  • Celtic have had their safety certificate renewed after Glasgow City Council were satisfied with the club’s efforts to stop the Green Brigade setting off flares inside their Celtic Park ground. The local authority quizzed Celtic bosses on how they would handle the problem going forward and were content with what they were told. Celtic fined over £20,000 by UEFA for 'illicit banner' and 'blocked stairways'
  • Celtic have been hit by a €23,000 (£20,616) fine by UEFA’s Disciplinary Committee following incidents in and around their Champions League qualifier at Celtic Park.
  • The club were fined for their fans displaying of illicit banners and blocking stairways during the tie on July 19. These offences led directly to Celtic taking action against the Green brigade, banning them for two matches.
  • The Scottish champions had been charged on three different offences, but sanctions against a kit infringement, concerning a sponsors logo, were dropped.
  • Celtic were fined €16k last season following crowd trouble and pyrotechnics during their away match against Manchester City in the group stages of the Champions League, and over £8,000 for displaying Palestinian flags during the home match with Israeli club Hapoel Beer Sheva.

ReviewSunderland 0 Celtic 5

Twitter: Chris Thompson‏@PrinceofPallion "Never seen an away support like that at the SOL, absolutely incredible. Put us to shame"

David Whitfield‏ @davidsafcftm "simply the best away fans in the 20years of @StadiumOfLight #fittnesstest #icouldntpassit #safc #celtic"

James Hunter‏Verified account@JHunterChron 20h20 hours ago

Magnificent away support from Celtic. Can't think of any fans who have travelled here in such numbers. #safc

Conor Garland‏@garland_conor 18h18 hours ago

If your a Sunderland supporter I wouldn't read to much into that result today you won't be coming up against that class of football every wk

Torquemeda of KDS
I hitchhiked to Sunderland to see the previous 0-5 game at the start of Big Jock's first full season in charge, Baxter's debut and Big Yogi at his unplayable best. This morning I was idly wondering how good a similar score would be for our morale in advance of Rosenberg, and quickly put it out of my mind. :lol: Sounds as if today couldn't have gone better. Well done the second stringers.

Teams

CELTIC (4-2-3-1): De Vries; Ralston, Ajer (McCart 72), Tierney (Hill 61), Miller (Benyu 72), Kouassi (Aitchison 83), Ntcham (Armstrong 46); Hayes (Rogic 46), McGregor (Henderson 78), Sinclair (Bitton 46), Forrest (Ciftci 61)
Not Used: Gordon, Hazard
Goals: (McGregor 5, 15, 58, Hayes 38, Armstrong 70)

Dafabet Cup
Stadium of Light, Sunderland
Saturday July 28, 2017
Referee:
Attendance:

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Sunderland 0 – 5 Celtic: Forrest an option up front against Rosenborg

Celtic's Callum McGregor scores his sides second goal during the pre-season match at the Stadium of Ligh. Picture: Danny Lawson/PA Wire
ANDREW SMITH
Published: 19:35 Updated: 19:46 Saturday 29 July 2017

Have your say
Not all friendlies are meaningless. Celtic’s pummelling of a desperate Sunderland may also serve as a problem-solving exercise.
The afternoon may have seemed to belong to hat-trick plunderer Callum McGregor. With the Wearside contest sandwiched between the third round Champions League qualifier against Rosenborg, Brendan Rodgers’ decision to start with James Forrest through the middle appeared of greater significance.
Celtic have a hazardous assignment awaiting them in Trondheim on Wednesday through failing to break down the Norwegian league leaders within their own environs last week. The absence of a striker hindered their cause with Moussa Dembele lost to a long-term injury and Leigh Griffiths both banned and unfit as the result of a calf strain.
If the Scotland striker fails to recover sufficiently to lead the line in midweek then Rodgers gave every indication he would have no qualms about deploying Forrest in a role that Tom Rogic never looked at ease in during the first leg. Mind you, the defensive discipline and industry of Rosenborg were in marked contrast to Sunderland’s utter disarray at the back that demanded the conclusion Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes wasn’t daft in politely declining the offer to take over a team that could sink further after dropping out of the English top flight.
“James was outstanding,” Rodgers offered up when it was put to him his team had coped without strikers. “He has played there as a young player and he gave the team great fluency. You are always having to try things, especially if you don’t have someone obvious who can go and play. During the week we played Tom there and it wasn’t quite as fluent.
“For James it was a lot more natural, for him to spin in behind and come underneath. He was very good at turning in tight spaces and he can do that naturally as he has played there as a youngster and even occasionally in the first team for Celtic. I would have no hesitation in playing him there but it was nice to see it in a good level game.”
Rodgers enthused too about the excellence of McGregor, the 23-year-old bagging his triple after failing to make it off the bench in the first leg with Rosenborg. Yesterday did not enhance his chances of winning a start in the return, though, maintained the Irishman. “Callum is always in my thoughts”, the Celtic manager said. “He was outstanding today. His touches, his quality and his finishing. He has really grown within this squad, particularly in the last seven months, to be a real important member of the squad.”
There was a candy-from-a-baby aspect to McGregor’s plundering. A hash of a take from his keeper by Lamine Kone let in McGregor to slam the ball into the corner from the edge of the box. That was in five minutes. In 14 minutes, smart interplay involving Jonny Hayes, Kouassi, McGregor, James Forrest and Scott Sinclair ended with Scotland’s player of year slotting the ball to McGregor, who steadied himself and despatched a low shot into goal. He completed his hat-trick by sending Jason Steele the wrong way from the penalty spot after Aiden McGeady had tripped Anthony Ralston. Hayes chipped in a goal with a drilled-in effort to make it 3-0 just after the half hour mark. That came only minutes after Dorus de Vries had saved a spot-kick from James Vaughan, and his subsequent follow-up. The luckless Vaughan was instrumental in Stuart Armstrong adding a fifth 20 minutes from time when he took a pop from 22 yards that took a wicked deflection off the striker.
Celtic’s class on the pitch was in marked contrast to classless behaviour from a number of those among the 9,000 travelling support.
They did little to win friends among the home denizens by giving full vent to the IRA songbook and indulging in a smokebomb-fest. One smoke bomb was propelled on to the pitch and resulted in the game being temporarily held up in order that it was removed. There is an unsocial element of the Celtic support that appears to be on the rise.

Sunderland 0 – 5 Celtic: Forrest an option up front against Rosenborg Celtic's Callum McGregor scores his sides second goal during the pre-season match at the Stadium of Ligh. Picture: Danny Lawson/PA Wire Celtic's Callum McGregor scores his sides second goal during the pre-season match at the Stadium of Ligh. Picture: Danny Lawson/PA Wire ANDREW SMITH Published: 19:35 Updated: 19:46 Saturday 29 July 2017 0 Have your say Not all friendlies are meaningless. Celtic’s pummelling of a desperate Sunderland may also serve as a problem-solving exercise. The afternoon may have seemed to belong to hat-trick plunderer Callum McGregor. With the Wearside contest sandwiched between the third round Champions League qualifier against Rosenborg, Brendan Rodgers’ decision to start with James Forrest through the middle appeared of greater significance. Celtic have a hazardous assignment awaiting them in Trondheim on Wednesday through failing to break down the Norwegian league leaders within their own environs last week. The absence of a striker hindered their cause with Moussa Dembele lost to a long-term injury and Leigh Griffiths both banned and unfit as the result of a calf strain. If the Scotland striker fails to recover sufficiently to lead the line in midweek then Rodgers gave every indication he would have no qualms about deploying Forrest in a role that Tom Rogic never looked at ease in during the first leg. Mind you, the defensive discipline and industry of Rosenborg were in marked contrast to Sunderland’s utter disarray at the back that demanded the conclusion Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes wasn’t daft in politely declining the offer to take over a team that could sink further after dropping out of the English top flight. “James was outstanding,” Rodgers offered up when it was put to him his team had coped without strikers. “He has played there as a young player and he gave the team great fluency. You are always having to try things, especially if you don’t have someone obvious who can go and play. During the week we played Tom there and it wasn’t quite as fluent. “For James it was a lot more natural, for him to spin in behind and come underneath. He was very good at turning in tight spaces and he can do that naturally as he has played there as a youngster and even occasionally in the first team for Celtic. I would have no hesitation in playing him there but it was nice to see it in a good level game.” Rodgers enthused too about the excellence of McGregor, the 23-year-old bagging his triple after failing to make it off the bench in the first leg with Rosenborg. Yesterday did not enhance his chances of winning a start in the return, though, maintained the Irishman. “Callum is always in my thoughts”, the Celtic manager said. “He was outstanding today. His touches, his quality and his finishing. He has really grown within this squad, particularly in the last seven months, to be a real important member of the squad.” There was a candy-from-a-baby aspect to McGregor’s plundering. A hash of a take from his keeper by Lamine Kone let in McGregor to slam the ball into the corner from the edge of the box. That was in five minutes. In 14 minutes, smart interplay involving Jonny Hayes, Kouassi, McGregor, James Forrest and Scott Sinclair ended with Scotland’s player of year slotting the ball to McGregor, who steadied himself and despatched a low shot into goal. He completed his hat-trick by sending Jason Steele the wrong way from the penalty spot after Aiden McGeady had tripped Anthony Ralston. Hayes chipped in a goal with a drilled-in effort to make it 3-0 just after the half hour mark. That came only minutes after Dorus de Vries had saved a spot-kick from James Vaughan, and his subsequent follow-up. The luckless Vaughan was instrumental in Stuart Armstrong adding a fifth 20 minutes from time when he took a pop from 22 yards that took a wicked deflection off the striker. Celtic’s class on the pitch was in marked contrast to classless behaviour from a number of those among the 9,000 travelling support. They did little to win friends among the home denizens by giving full vent to the IRA songbook and indulging in a smokebomb-fest. One smoke bomb was propelled on to the pitch and resulted in the game being temporarily held up in order that it was removed. There is an unsocial element of the Celtic support that appears to be on the rise.

Read more at: http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/sunderland-0-5-celtic-forrest-an-option-up-front-against-rosenborg-1-4517446

McGregor Makes A Point As Celtic Run Riot In Sunderland

Callum Mcgregor – may well have played himself into contention for a start on Wednesday Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images

DAFABET CUP: SATURDAY 29TH JULY; SUNDERLAND 0 CELTIC 5 (McGREGOR 5, 15, 57’(PEN), HAYES 38’, ARMSTRONG 70’)

Callum McGregor was the star man in today’s Dafabet Cup game against Sunderland, scoring a hat-trick in Celtic’s comfortable 5-0 victory, and perhaps more importantly playing himself into the side for Wednesday’s match against Rosenborg, after being left out of the first leg.

As predicted, Celtic made changes with the likes of de Vries and Ralston starting, Miller, Kouassi and Hayes also started, with Kieran Tierney captaining the side. Former Celtic Aiden McGeady started for Sunderland.

Backed by a huge travelling support, Celtic took the lead after only five minutes, Callum McGregor taking advantage of a defensive mistake to score (1-0). The second goal arrived ten minutes later, after a good passing move that involved McGregor, Forrest and Sinclair McGregor slotted the ball home for his second goal. (2-0).

Sunderland were awarded a penalty in the 34th minute after a foul by Ntcham on Honeyman, but de Vries pulled off a superb double save from Vaughn’s penalty and the rebound. (Penalty save).

The third Celtic goal arrived in the 38th minute, Jonny Hayes with a nice controlled shot and finish after Ntcham’s initial shot had been saved (3-0).

The second-half inevitably featured a host of changes but Celtic kept the pressure on, with McGregor getting his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 57th minute after Ralston had been brought down. (4-0).

The scoring was completed in the 70th minute, substitute Stuart Armstrong scoring a trademark goal from outside the box (5-0).

Final score five-nil to Celtic, and captain Keiran Tierney lifted the Dafabet Cup as Celtic added yet another trophy to our vast collection. Brendan Rodgers will be delighted that there have been no injuries suffered today as far as we know and by the performance of Callum McGregor, who seems a cert to start on Wednesday night…who knows, we might even play him up-front, after his finishing today!