In summary:
- In a thrilling preseason friendly, Celtic defeated Manchester City 4-3, with Nicolas Kuhn scoring twice and Luis Palma netting the winner.
- The match showcased the talents of young players on both sides, with Erling Haaland scoring for City and several promising performances from Celtic’s squad.
- Both teams continue their preparations for the upcoming season with a series of high-profile friendly matches.
In a preseason friendly on Tuesday, Celtic defeated Manchester City 4-3 thanks to goals from Nicolas Kuhn and Luis Palma, who scored the game’s winning goal in the 68th minute.
In the 57th minute, Erling Haaland, who was captaining City for the first time, equalized the score. However, Honduran international Palma sealed the victory with a tap-in goal on a breakaway.
For both Manchester City and Celtic, this game served as preparation for their respective 2024/25 campaigns. Pep Guardiola, the manager of City, saw this game as an opportunity to assess younger players as many elite players were rested following the European Championships.
The 37-year-old Kasper Schmeichel, who began his career with City in 2006, made his debut for Celtic in that game. He played the first half for Celtic.
In his fourth preseason match, German winger Kuhn scored twice for Celtic in the first half. Even though they were behind 3-1 at the break, City bounced back in the second half thanks to a goal from 21-year-old Argentine replacement Maximo Perrone. Just seconds after he was brought in, his left-footed effort reached the far corner of the net.
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Haaland headed in a cross from Oscar Bobb cross to tie the score in the 57th minute. However, Palma, who had just entered the game, completed a three-man breakaway for Celtic in the 68th minute, taking advantage of City’s defenders being caught off guard.
Ben Knight, a City substitute, had a chance to tie the score in the 76th minute, but goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo of Celtic saved it over the bar in the second half.
In the thirteenth minute, Kuhn gave City the lead with a left-footed effort that went past Stefan Ortega, the starting goalkeeper. Haaland was denied by Schmeichel with a number of crucial saves, but City equalized in the 33rd minute when Bobb’s shot looped past Schmeichel and into the net.
In the 36th minute, Kuhn made a swift response for Celtic, dribbling past a defender and curling a shot high into the net. In the 44th minute, Kuhn helped Celtic take a 3-1 lead when Kyogo Furuhashi scored from a tricky angle, splitting two defenders.
On Saturday, City’s US tour continues with a match against AC Milan at Yankee Stadium in New York. The games against Barcelona and Chelsea will then take place in Orlando and Columbus, Ohio, respectively. In South Bend, Indiana, on Saturday, Celtic will play Chelsea.
