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Trivia
- Third Friendly of the Summer
- Celts end pre-season tour undefeated with draw against St Gallen
- The first time that Celtic played with VAR in operation! Kybunpark, home of @FCSG, is one of the few stadiums in Switzerland with the technology in place
- VAR – Some controversy from the off (but it is a friendly match). – The referee awarded a free-kick to #CelticFC for a handball… after a VAR check, he changed the decision and gave a penalty! Celtic then duly missed it!
- VAR first usage in a Celtic game: Simounvic sent off, VAR used to send him off too.
- Former Celtic stars Dedryck Boyata and Scott Allan bizarrely listed in the starting lineup. Humorous error.
- Another Bhoys XI dispatched of St Gallen’s under-21s side in a dismantling 9-1 victory in a closed-doors game. Included a Griffiths 4 goals in the match.
- Founded in 1879, St. Gallen FC is the oldest football club on the Continent
- M’well player & Celtic prospect David Turnbull has first op, good luck to him.
- U.S. businessman Ronald Gordon has taken a controlling stake in Hibernian, the Scottish Premier League club said on Tuesday. Gordon has bought the shares in the Edinburgh club from Tom Farmer, owner since 1991, and chairman Rod Petrie and becomes executive chairman. Hibernian said in a statement the club was now debt free six years ahead of schedule and Gordon was making a seven figure cash injection into the club.
- England women lose World Cup semi-final to USA on same night.
- Cricket World Cup for men currently on the go.
- Ex-Celtic manager Martin O’Neill sacked from Notts Forrest role after just 5 months.
- Transfers:
Rumours: Tierney to Arsenal continue, £19m rejected offer! Derisory offer. Sinclair to move south for £2m
Reports that John McGinn whom Celtic declined to raise a bid for from Hibs last season will now possibly move to Man U from Aston Villa for £50m. The EPL is crazy.
Marvin Compper has left for Germany, no surprises.
Review
Disappointing but the run out was good.
Match will be more remembered for first ever use of VAR in a Celtic game.
The first time that a Scottish team had played with VAR in operation and the controversial system helped helped Celtic get a penalty for handball midway through the first half. However, Odsonne Edouard saw his spot kick saved by Dejan Stojanovic.
In the 76th minute, VAR also led referee Fedayi San to turn a yellow card into a red card for Simunovic for a high boot on Boris Babic. The dismissal left Lennon – with one eye on the club’s first-leg qualifier against FK Sarajevo in Bosnia next Tuesday night – being concerned by the possible consequences.
Teams
CELTIC:
Bain; Ralston, Ajer, Simunovic, Hayes, Brown, McGregor, Forrest (Dembele 87), Shved (Gutman 77), Johnston; Edouard
Subs: Hazard, Morrison, Henderson, Oko-Flex
ST GALLEN:
Stojanovic (Klinsmann 45); Stergiou (Itten 45), Abril (Alves 45), Quintilla (Costanzo 45) Guillemenot (Muheim), Kutesa (Fazliji 45), Bakayoko (Solimando 45), Staubli (Krauchi 45), Kchouk (Babic 45), Letard (Ajeti 81), Rufli (Campos 45)
Subs: Strubi, Obst
Referee: Fedayi San
Attendance:
Articles
- Match Report (see end of page below)
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Articles
Celts end pre-season tour undefeated with draw against St Gallen
By: Tony Connelly in Switzerland on 02 Jul, 2019 20:24http://www.celticfc.net/news/16394
Pre-season Friendly
Tuesday, July 2, 2019
AFG Arena, St Gallen, Switzerland
CELTIC…0
ST GALLEN…0
CELTIC were held to a goalless draw in the final game of their pre-season tour tonight (Tuesday) against FC St Gallen.
The first chance stemmed from some wonderful skill from Mikey Johnston, as the winger won possession in the opposition half. After turning two opposition players out on the touchline, the 20-year-old drove forward and slipped the ball to Forrest on the edge of the area. Johnston met Hayes’ cross at the near post with the slightest of touches but it was too close to the keeper who blocked the effort.
Some nice link-up play between Marian Shved and Odsonne Edouard yielded another opportunity moments laterbut the French striker’s shot inside the box was blocked.
The game was played at a high tempo in the early stages as both sides looked keen to get off the mark.
VAR came into play midway through the first-half when Tony Ralston’s long range shot was ultimately ruled to have been handled inside the box. Celtic were duly awarded a penalty, Edouard stepped up, but this spot kick was pushed onto the post by the keeper.
Ahead of the half hour mark, Shved was denied when his shot across goal was saved. Johnston was once again the playmaker, after skipping past his man on the halfway line, cutting inside and feeding the ball to the Ukrainian winger 20-yards from goal.
Celtic were the more dominant team during the first-half and showed some promising link-up play in the final third, despite being unable to craft any further clear-cut chances in front of goal.
St Gallen nearly took the lead late in the first period when the ball broke to their number 10, Dereck Kutesa. He tore towards goal but saw his shot come back off the post while running shoulder-to-shoulder with Jozo Simunovic.
Immediately after the break, Johnston burst from the traps to intercept from kick-off. He darted for goal, evading the opposition players swarming around him, before cutting inside and firing wide.
The tempo of the game was maintained in the second period and Celtic were kept busy in defence – Angelo Campos coming close from 20-yards ahead of the hour.
The home side’s willingness moving forward left them vulnerable to counter attacks, and Celtic tried to capitalise on the windows of opportunity.
The Hoops’ best chance came in the 70th minute and was initiated by a sublime long diagonal ball from McGregor to Forrest on the left. He slipped it in to Johnston who threaded it through to Hayes. The return pass was slightly behind the winger, though, and he sent his effort wide of the post from close range.
With 15 minutes remaining, Celtic were dealt a blow when the referee reviewed a challenge by Simunovic and issued the Croatia with a red card. Scott Bain made a good save from the resulting free-kick to keep the score level, and Neil Lennon’s men soldiered on with 10 men.
From there, neither side managed to break the deadlock before the referee blew for full-time. It was goalless on the night, however Celtic ended their tour of Austria and Switzerland undefeated.
CELTIC: Bain; Ralston, Ajer, Simunovic, Hayes, Brown, McGregor, Forrest (Dembele 87), Shved (Gutman 77), Johnston; Edouard
Subs: Hazard, Morrison, Henderson, Oko-Flex
ST GALLEN: Stojanovic (Klinsmann 45); Stergiou (Itten 45), Abril (Alves 45), Quintilla (Costanzo 45) Guillemenot (Muheim), Kutesa (Fazliji 45), Bakayoko (Solimando 45), Staubli (Krauchi 45), Kchouk (Babic 45), Letard (Ajeti 81), Rufli (Campos 45)
Subs: Strubi, Obst
Website Man of the Match: Mikey Johnston
St Gallen 0 Celtic 0 as Jozo Simunovic sent off for X-rated challenge in friendly draw
Neil Lennon’s side stepped up their preparations with the Champions League opener against Sarajevo just seven days away.
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ByGraeme Young
Updated21:07, 2 JUL 2019
Celtic were given a stern test in Switzerland and were almost undone by a moment of madness from Jozo Simunovic.
Neil Lennon’s side were held to a 0-0 draw by St Gallen and there will be plenty for the Irishman to work on.
An open first half saw each side spurn good chances to go in front. VAR awarded Celtic a penalty for handball, but Odsonne Edouard saw his effort saved.
Marian Shved fizzed an effort across goal that was held by home keeper Stojanovic, but it was the Swiss side who had the best chance from open play in the first 45.
Dereck Kutesa charged through the Celtic defence and fired an effort off the post. The second half started brightly for Celtic, with Mikey Johnston and Edouard finding themselves with chances in the opening seconds, but it soon settled down into a tame affair.
That was until Simunovic was sent off for a high boot, with VAR rearing its head once again to inform the referee’s decision.
Andrew Gutman was brought on to reinforce the defence but Celtic held on in the final stages and the game finished goalless. A bit of Leigh Griffiths magic was missed.
The Hoops, despite the mixed display, have an extra 90 minutes of fitness under their belts ahead of the trip to Bosnia.
Celtic team: Bain; Ralston, Ajer, Simunovic, Hayes, Brown, McGregor, Forrest, Shved, Johnston, Edouard
St Gallen 0 – 0 Celtic: Lennon worried Simunovic red card may affect Euro availability
https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/celtic/st-gallen-0-0-celtic-lennon-worried-simunovic-red-card-may-affect-euro-availability-1-4958192
Neil Lennon hopes the sending-off of Jozo Simunovic in Switzerland last night will not have repercussions for Celtic’s Champions League campaign .
The friendly against St Gallen represented the first time that a Scottish team had played with VAR in operation and the controversial system helped helped the Premiership champions get a penalty for handball midway through the first half. However, striker Odsonne Edouard saw his spot kick saved by Dejan Stojanovic.
In the 76th minute, VAR also led referee Fedayi San to turn a yellow card into a red card for Simunovic for a high boot on Boris Babic. The dismissal left Lennon – with one eye on his club’s first-leg qualifier against FK Sarajevo in Bosnia next Tuesday night – being concerned by the possible consequences.
The Celtic manager, whose side were looking to make it three friendly wins from three following the 6-1 victory over Pinkafeld and the 2-1 win against Wiener SC, told the club’s media channels: “It was a real step up in quality and tempo of the game and I am really pleased we came through it unscathed, although obviously the sending off is a sore one and we will have to see the outcome of that.
“I don’t know what the rules are,” he continued. “It might have to come down to the referee’s report and if that is sent to the SFA, so we have to see what the outcome of that will be.
“It is the first thing I asked the staff when it happened, if he would be eligible for next week. We will just have to wait and see – hopefully he will be okay.
“We had good chances to win the game. We ran out of steam towards the end a bit, but that is totally understandable.”
Earlier in the day, a strong Celtic XI hammered St Gallen Under-21s 9-1 in a behind-closed-doors friendly.
Striker Leigh Griffiths scored four, with 16-year-old Karamoko Dembele grabbing his first senior goal.
Scott Sinclair netted a double, while Ewan Henderson and Lewis Morgan were the other two names on the scoresheet.