Pre-season friendly

Saturday, July 29, 2023

Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland

CELTIC… 1

(Kyogo 6)

WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS… 1

(Cunha 85pen)

Celtic returned to Ireland and put on an impressive performance for the local support, drawing 1-1 with Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Aviva Stadium.

Kyogo Furuhashi got the opening goal inside the opening six minutes, however, Matheus Cunha equalised with five minutes to play from the penalty spot.

But for the 30,000 Celtic fans in attendance, it was an occasion to remember to see the Celts back in Dublin for the first time in five years and round off the pre-season tour with a solid display.

For the Hoops fans in Ireland, watching Celtic usually means having to catch planes, buses and boats over the Irish Sea, but on this occasion, they got to see their heroes much closer to home.

The Aviva Stadium and those inside were doing their best to create a feeling as if it was Celtic Park as Hoops shirts packed the stands, and the Celtic songs were played over the speakers, giving the match a real sense of a home game for Brendan Rodgers’ side.

Of course, Celtic’s connections run deep in Ireland and the team on the park were looking to reward those in attendance and they got off to the perfect start.

After four minutes, Reo Hatate cannoned a shot off the crossbar from an acute angle following some wonderful approach play from Matt O’Riley and Daizen Maeda to set up the opportunity.

Then two minutes later Celtic had the ball in the back of the net with Kyogo getting his first goal of the new season.

It was the Japan international that set up the move, winning the ball deep inside the Wolves half from Mario Lemina and finding Liel Abada in space in the box, who in turn played the ball back into Kyogo’s path and he rifled a first-time finish beyond Jose Sa.

Kyogo was millimetres from making it 2-0 on 11 minutes, with Celtic in firm control of the opening stages.

Callum McGregor picked out the 28-year-old’s trademark run in behind with a quarter-back-style pass from deep, and Kyogo did everything right by lobbing the keeper, but the ball clipped the underside of the bar and bounced the wrong side of the line.

There were more chances for Celtic inside the first 20 minutes, however, Wolves did have a big opportunity to equalise when Matheus Nunes blazed an effort well over the bar from six-yards out.

Matheus Cunha also went close on the 33^rd minute with a header from a free-kick drifting wide, with both teams at this stage sharing possession.

Still, the best opportunities were falling Celtic’s way and if Maeda could have kept his feet on the 41^st minute, it would have been 2-0 to the Hoops at half-time.

On this occasion, however, the forward just stumbled with the goalkeeper sprawled on the ground and his shot lacked any real power and Craig Dawson cleared off the line.

Celtic return to Ireland and play out an entertaining draw with Wolves