Saturday, December 10, 2022

Algarve, Portugal

CELTIC… 3

(O’Riley 19’ & 44’, Kyogo 41’)

STADE RENNAIS… 4

(Terrier 1’, Gouiri 21’, Assignon 27’, Omari 39’)

Celtic rounded off their week’s training camp in Portugal’s Algarve with a 4-3 defeat to Stade Rennais in a bounce match with the Ligue 1 side.

All the goals came in an entertaining opening 45 minutes, with sublime strikes for Celtic from Kyogo and two from Matt O’Riley.

While ending in defeat, it was an important game for the team in preparation for the league returning next Saturday away to Aberdeen, and for the likes of Callum McGregor and Carl Starfelt in their returns from injury, with Yuki Kobayashi also getting his first minutes in a Hoops shirt.

It was an end-to-end first-half which started with a goal inside the opening minute for the French side, Terrier scoring from a corner, meeting the cross at the near post and flicking the ball into the bottom right corner.

Rennais started well, but Celtic began getting back into the game after the 10^th minute, with Ralston and O’Riley testing the goalkeeper with efforts from range.

The pressure was mounting, with Reo Hatate smashing the post on the 17^th minute with a strike almost similar to his goal against Motherwell at Celtic Park earlier this season, taking the ball from a short corner and slamming the base of the left post from 25 yards.

Two minutes later, the Hoops got their goal to make the score 1-1 with a brilliant first-time finish from O’Riley, sweeping the ball on the half-volley and curling it into the far right corner from inside the box.

From that moment, however, Rennais went on a scoring spree, getting three goals in 20 minutes to make the game 4-1.

The first came on 21 minutes, with Bourigeaud slipping Gouiri through on goal and touching the ball past the on-rushing Joe Hart.

It was then 3-1 on 27 minutes after right-back Assignon broke into space down the right before advancing into the box and firing a powerful shot into the top left corner.

The fourth goal was scored by centre-half Omari on 39 minutes with a first-time finish high into the roof of the net after being in space in the box with a cross from the left.

Almost immediately from kick-off however, Celtic got back into the game. Kyogo pulled the score back to 4-2 with a Kyogo-style finish, racing on to a long ball over the defence, controlling with his chest before lobbing the goalkeeper.

Right on the stroke of half-time it was 4-3 to the Hoops, with O’Riley getting his second of the afternoon with another superb strike, picking the ball up 25 yards from goal and smashing it into the bottom left corner.

It was a pulsating half of football, but it would be the end to the goals as the second period started and ended with the same score line.

Still, Celtic was the better of the two teams and went close to equalising on a number of occasions with Greg Taylor just firing over with an effort from the edge of the box on 60 minutes.

The best chances fell on the 69^th minute when David Turnbull’s delightful back-heel played Giorgos Giakoumakis through on goal, but for the goalkeeper’s terrific save low to his left, the Greece international would have made it 4-4.

From the resulting corner, Turnbull then went close but his volley from 20 yards looped off a defender and bounced off the crossbar.

No more goals, but still a worthwhile exercise as Ange Postecoglou got vital minutes into the legs of the squad, with the league returning next weekend.

CELTIC: Hart (Siegrist 60’). Ralston (Ideguchi 78’), Starfelt (Kobayashi 78’), Jenz (Lawal 45’), Taylor (Bernabei 60’), McGregor (Vata 78’), Hatate (Abildgaard 69’), O’Riley (Turnbull 60’), Abada (JHaksabanovic 45’), Jota (Forrest 60’), Kyogo (Giakoumakis 60’).

Celtic end Portugal training camp with bounce game defeat