Match Pictures | Matches: 2024 – 2025
Trivia
- KO: 21:00 UK Time, 4pm EDT local time Saturday; Notre Dame Stadium (Indiana, USA); Celtic TV
- Summer Friendlies – USA tour; Match 3 of 3
- Stadium is dubbed: “Home of the Fighting Irish!”
- Celtic incredibly go undefeated in the US Tour, with 3/3 wins, two against EPL teams. Granted these weren’t full strength, but a great boost nonetheless.
- League season and first competitive match next weekend.
- Transfers so far this summer:
- In: return of loanees like Lawal, Tilio, Haksabonovic; Viljami Sinisalo (est £1m) from Aston Villa; Kasper Schmeichel on a free from Anderlecht;
- Out: Idah back to Norwich after loan ended; Bernardo back to Benfica after loan ended; Haksabanovic to Malmö (undisclosed); Rocco Vata to Watford (£250k compensation); Tilio sent back on loan to Melbourne City (Australia) for 2024/25; Oh sold to Genk (£4.5m); Ben Siegrist to Rapid Bucurest (free);
- Ben Siegrist transfer exit on free joining ex-Celt Neil Lennon (manager) at Rapid Bucharest.
- Reports: Venezia midfielder Tanner Tessmann. Umpteen reports daily that Bernardo deal completed yet all still waiting. Southampton £14m plus add-ons bid for Matt O’Riley rejected, Celtic want 25m+. Renewed attempt to sign left-back Hugo Bueno on loan from Wolves (knocked back). St Johnstone youth defender Callan Hamill travelled with Arsenal’s U18 squad for pre-season, but facing a decision on his future as Celtic tabled a 3yr contract offer. Celtic youth winger Ben Quinn could land move to Mansfield Town after scoring 3 goals in as many friendlies while on trial with them (not made appearance with Celtic’s first team). Loan offer from KV Mechelen for Stephen Welsh. Brendan Rodgers stresses that Kyogo not for sale. Irakli Azarovi to remain at Shakhtar Donetsk, club said to have rejected €5m offer from Celtic, however report is believed to be nonsense, and likely generated by agents trying to drum up non-existent interest.
- Greg Taylor admits his Celtic future is up in the air after contract talks stalled. Rodgers has said he wants to keep him.
- Al Ittihad signed a new winger that likely ends ex-Celt Jota’s time in Saudi Arabia. Celtic sold him to Al Ittihad last summer in a deal worth £25m, report Besiktas under ex-Sevco manager van Bronckhurst wants him!
- UEFA Cup/Europa Lge: St Mirren & Kilmarnock earn draws in their first legs.
- Olympics: Started in Paris on 26 July; Scottish tennis legend Andy Murray to retire after these games end (but had to pull out of the singles, now only playing in the doubles);
- Record for the world’s hottest day tumbled twice in one week, according to the European climate change service. On 26th the global average surface air temperature reached 17.15C, breaking the record of 17.09C set on Sunday. It beats the record set in July 2023.
- Ex-Celt Morten Wieghorst named new Head Coach of the Denmark National Team.
- Charity: Congratulations to Celtic fan Paul Muldoon who succesfully completed the 1014 mile virtual cycle from Celtic Park to Seville – raising an amazing £3K for charity.
- Girondins de Bordeaux FC liquidated, 1920-2024. Amidst crisis-level financial troubles, all player contracts are to be terminated and their training centre closed.
- Friendly match: On Saturday 7 Sep Manchester United Legends play Celtic Legends.
Summary
Notre Dame Stadium: “Home of the Fighting Irish!”
@celticrumours: “Matt O’Riley showed tonight that he’s too good for English football.”
Everything Celtic @aboutceltic · “It’s only pre-season but that Chelsea side was only a couple off the XI that will begin their PL opener vs City. Scudding them by three is a good statement of intent.”
Highland__PaddyA good end to the USA tour for Celtic, fitness levels look good and the team, regardless of the set up , appear to be comfortable . Real stuff begins next week though , let’s hope the squad has been strengthened by then.
BB:First half excellent, second not so much but still decent. Kasper Schmeichel an upgrade on Super Joe, and the best passer of a ball in the team.
Welsh and Taylor miles off what we need. First time I’ve been impressed by Holm, thought he looked busy and always looking to get involved.
Kyogo looks really up for it on this tour, expect the wee man to get 25 goals plus this season.
We got to see both sides of Palma in that game. Composed finish for the goal, shat his pant for a tackle in the middle of the pitch in the lead up to their penalty. Overall I expect his numbers will be beneficial to the team this year, but he needs to wise up.
JZ: Schmeichel a definite upgrade on Hart. Was good to hear him shouting encouragement to the defence constantly as much as spraying passes all over.
Good preseason with some nice football played. Still think we need more creativity in that team though, the games against teams playing the low block is where we struggled last season and I cannot deal with watching Palma try and score from corners again when struggling to break down Ross County.
Hopefully the good showing in our friendlies doesn’t give the board the idea we are the finished article.
Teams
Celtic:
Subs:
Goals: O’Riley 19, Kyogo 32, Palma 75, M.Johnston
Assists:
Chelsea:
Subs:
Goals:Nkunku 89pen
Assists:
Ref:
Att:
Articles
- Match Report (see below)
Pictures
Match Links
Articles
Another impressive display from Celtic as they beat Chelsea
https://www.celticfc.com/news/2024/july/27/another-impressive-display-from-celtic-as-they-beat-chelsea/
First Team
By Gerry McCulloch in America
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28 Jul 2024, 12:14 am
Pre-season friendly
Saturday, July 27, 2024
Notre Dame Stadium, Indiana, United States
CELTIC… 4
(O’Riley 19, Kyogo 32, Palma 75, M.Johnston)
CHELSEA… 1
(Nkunku 89pen)
An impressive 4-1 win over Chelsea gave Brendan Rodgers and his Celtic players the perfect end to what has been a memorable tour of the USA.
After wins over DC United and Manchester City, the Hoops went into this game at Notre Dame’s iconic stadium in South Bend, Indiana full of confidence.
However, it was Chelsea who had the first real chance at goal in the fourth minute, but Christopher Nkunku’s header was brilliantly saved by Kasper Schmeichel in only his second game for the club. And the Danish international keeper was at his brilliant best just two minutes later with a fantastic double save from point-blank range to deny the English Premier League side the opening goal.
Celtic’s first real chance cameion the ninth minute, but Kyogo’s shot was blocked, with Daizen Maeda looking for a cutback in front of goal.
Reo Hatate then had a shot from distance which was saved by Robert Sanchez as Celtic began to take the upper hand.
And on 19 minutes, Brendan Rodgers’ side took the lead.
After a James Forrest shot was turned round the post by Sanchez, Celtic made the most of the corner.
The ball eventually found its way to Matt O’Riley, courtesy of Greg Taylor, and 10 yards from goal, the midfielder coolly slotted the ball low into the goalkeeper’s right corner for his third goal of the USA tour.
The Bhoys should have made it two after the first-half water break on 28 minutes. Daizen Maeda was played down the left by an inch-perfect O’Riley pass, and the winger’s ball to Kyogo saw Sanchez coming off his line to block the shot from the Celtic striker.
However, Kyogo was not to be denied a goal which came in the 32nd minute. After great possession play, Anthony Ralston picked out O’Riley on the right whose low cross was turned into the net by Kyogo to make it 2-0.
Brendan Rodgers was forced into a change on the 35th-minute mark when the impressive Maeda was replaced by Luis Palma, and the Honduran immediately had a shot at goal but his effort went straight into the arms of Sanchez.
The second half started like the first, with Chelsea on the attack, and Kasper Schmeichel was at his best to deny substitute Raheem Sterling from close range. And then Madueke somehow shot wide in the 49th minute when it looked easier to score.
Cameron Carter-Vickers was replaced after 55 minutes of his first pre-season outing, Stephen Welsh coming on for the final stages, while al Yang and Matthew Anderson replaced Forrest and Taylor not long after that.
After a further seven changes, Celtic were gifted a third goal in the 75th minute. Luis Palma pounced on a slack pass just outside the Chelsea area and he made no mistake with the finish to send the thousands of Hoops fans who had made the journey to Indiana from far and wide into raptures.
Mikey Johnston made it 4-0 just three minutes later, finishing calmly after bearing down on Chelsea’s goal.
A late consolation penalty from Christopher Nkunku did nothing to dampen the spirits of the Celtic players and supporters, who enjoyed a third consecutive win in the United States for the Hoops, with the team hitting four goals on each occasion.
Celtic rolls past Chelsea 4-1 in final friendly of U.S. tour, Adam Idah tellingly reacts
Celtic rolls past Chelsea 4-1 in final friendly of U.S. tour, Adam Idah tellingly reacts
By Editor 27 July, 2024 1 Comment
[Celtic rolls past Chelsea 4-1 in final friendly of U.S. tour, Adam Idah tellingly reacts]
Celtic’sMatt O’Riley celebrates with teammates after scoringl during a pre-season match between Chelsea and Celtic at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana, on July 27, 2024. ((Photo by KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
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Celtic closed out its U.S. tour with an unbeaten record after defeating English Premier League side Chelsea 4-1 on Saturday.
Celtic’s Michael Johnston celebrates his goal during a pre-season match between Chelsea and Celtic at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana, on July 27, 2024. Photo by KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Image
Matt O’Riley, Kyogo Furuhashi, Luis Palma, and Mikey Johnston all scored goals in a dominant performance at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind. U.S. international Cameron Carter-Vickers made his first appearance of the tour while Kasper Schmeichel retained his place in between the posts.
O’Riley broke the deadlock in the 18th minute, creating room on the right side of the Chelsea box before curling a shot into the bottom-left corner.
Celtic would continue on the front foot as O’Riley and Furuhashi linked up for a 2-0 lead. O’Riley snuck into the Chelsea box before drilling a pass across the box to a wide open Furuhashi for a simple tap in.
A worry for Celtic fans as Maeda was replaced in the 35th minute by Luis Palma with an apparent injury.
Celtic FC fans cheer during the pre-seasonl match between Chelsea and Celtic at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana, on July 27, 2024. ) (Photo by KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
Raheem Sterling rattled the crossbar in the 46th minute for Chelsea, providing some life for the London outfit.
Palma would extend Celtic’s lead to 3-0 in the 76th minute after a defensive error from Benoît Badiashile. Badiashile’s errant back pass fell straight to Palma who made no mistake in the box.
Mikey Johnston capped off Celtic’s dominant day by finishing off Palma’s assist for a 4-0 lead.
Fans of Celtic Japanese forward Kyogo Furuhashi wait for the pre-season match between Chelsea and Celtic at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana, on July 27, 2024. (Photo by KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
Christopher Nkunku pulled a consolation goal back from the penalty spot after Raheem Sterling was hauled down in the box.
However, Celtic would hang on for a 4-1 result to close their U.S. tour in style. Several young players continued to earn important minutes including Colby Donovan, Francis Turley, and Matthew Anderson.
The Hoops outscored their opposition 12-4 over that span and now return home ahead of their Scottish Premiership opener vs. Kilmarnock on Sunday, 4 August.
Larry Henry Jr
Managing Editor – SBI Soccer
Staff Writer – MLS NEXT Pro
The Celtic Star – Special Contributor