While numerous elite players were taking a break from the European Championships, Pep Guardiola, the manager of City, took use of the chance to assess younger players.
In a preseason friendly on Tuesday, Celtic defeated Manchester City 4-3 thanks to goals from Nicolas Kuhn twice and Luis Palma in the 68th minute. In the 57th minute, Erling Haaland of Norway, donning the captain’s armband for the first time, knocked home an equalizer at Kenan Memorial Stadium. However, Honduran international Palma scored the winning goal on a breakaway.
The game served as a warm-up for Celtic, the holder of the last three Scottish Premiership titles, and Manchester City, the four-time defending champion of the English Premier League, who kicked off their US tour, when their 2024–25 seasons begin next month.
While numerous elite players were taking a break from the European Championships, Pep Guardiola, the manager of City, took use of the chance to assess younger players.
Goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, a 37-year-old Dane who started his career with City in 2006, made his Celtic debut in the game. He participated in the Hoops’ first half.
In his fourth preseason game, German right flank Kuhn scored a brace for Celtic in the first half.
After trailing 3-1 at the break, City responded only minutes later with a goal from recently introduced 21-year-old Argentine replacement Maximo Perrone, who scored with his first touch of the ball, a left-footed effort from the right side into the far corner.
In the 57th minute, Oscar Bobb’s centering ball was headed in by Haaland to tie the score for City.
However, Palma, who had joined the game three minutes earlier, completed a three-man breakaway to give Celtic the victory in the 68th minute, leaving City’s defenders caught off guard near midfield after pressuring with the backline.
The ball was pushed over the crossbar by Finnish Celtic goalie Viljami Sinisalo in the 76th minute, denying City replacement Ben Knight an equalizer.
– Kuhn, Schmeichel shine –
In the thirteenth minute, Kuhn scored the first goal for City. He received a ball on the right side, raced on Stefan Ortega, the starting goalie, and sent a left-footed effort that went just inside the far post.
In the twenty-third minute, Schmeichel stopped Haaland’s left-footed effort after James McAtee fed him with a right-hand save.
Schmeichel stopped Haaland’s left-footed effort from the right side in the 31st minute as well. Schmeichel deflected the drive with his left hand.
However, Man City equalized when Haaland sent a left-wing pass to Bobb, who was sprinting forward. Bobb fired a shot that struck Schmeichel and rebounded into the goal.
In the thirty-sixth minute, Kuhn responded for Celtic, diving in on the right flank, dragging back the ball to sidestep a defender, and curling a left-footed shot high into the net.
In the 44th minute, Celtic increased their lead to 3-1 when Kuhn found Japan’s quick-thinking Kyogo Furuhashi, who split two players, avoided Ortega, and scored with a left-footed effort from a steep angle.
Man City’s US trip resumes on Saturday at Yankee Stadium in New York against AC Milan. Next week, the team will play Chelsea in Columbus, Ohio, and Barcelona in Orlando.
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In South Bend, Indiana, on Saturday, Celtic will play Chelsea.
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