Pre-season friendly
Saturday, July 23, 2022
Celtic Park, Glasgow

CELTIC… 2
(Maeda 35, Turnbull 67)

NORWICH CITY… 0

Celtic rounded off their pre-season preparations with a 2-0 victory over Norwich City this afternoon. The goals came from Daizen Maeda and David Turnbull, while at the other end Joe Hart produced some impressive saves to deny the visitors a goal.

And there were also debuts for Moritz Jenz and Aaron Mooy, with both players coming on during the second half.

Ange Postecoglou’s side started the game well and were dominating possession, taking the game to their opponents, although clear-cut chances were at a premium.

Callum McGregor was orchestrating things in the middle of the park alongside Reo Hatate and Matt O’Riley, while the Hoops were looking dangerous down either flank.

However, it was the visitors who produced a good chance just before the half-hour mark when Milot Rashica fired in a low shot from the edge of the area. But Joe Hart did well to push the ball away.

However, just over five minutes later Celtic took the lead through a brilliant piece of trickery from Daizen Maeda.

The ball was worked out wide to Josip Juranovic, who fired it low into the area for Maeda, who flicked the ball with a great piece of improvisation beyond Tim Krul and into the net.

The second half saw Norwich push forward in search of an equaliser, with Joe Hart again coming to the rescue, blocking the ball with his face after a shot had spun up off Cameron Carter-Vickers.

Moritz Jenz was one of seven changes for Celtic on the hour mark, and the German defender looked composed on the ball in his first appearance at Paradise.

And seven minutes after the changes, another substitute, David Turnbull, extended Celtic’s lead.

The impressive Reo Hatate intercepted the ball near the edge of the area, working it on to Giorgos Giakoumakis who, in turn, fed Turnbull.

Keeping possession inside the area, he turned past one defender before unleashing a powerful right-foot shot that nestled in the back of the net.

And there was another chance for the Hoops when Giakoumakis shot from the edge of the area, but his effort was pushed round the post.

It was a winning end to the pre-season schedule for Celtic. Now, attention turns to next Sunday and the opening game of the new Scottish Premiership season against Aberdeen.

CELTIC: Hart, Juranovic (Ralston 60), Carter-Vickers (Jullien 83), Welsh (Jenz 60), Taylor (Bernabei 60), McGregor (McCarthy 83), Hatate (Mooy 77), O’Riley (Turnbull 60), Jota (Abada 60), Kyogo (Giakoumakis 60), Maeda (Forrest 60).
Subs: Bain, Siegrist, Ideguchi

Celts sign off pre-season with Paradise win over Norwich City