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Manchester City began their pre-season tour of the US with a shock 4-3 defeat to Celtic.
Although City started the game with big names like Erling Haaland and Jack Grealish, they could not overpower the Scottish champions.
Celtic took the lead with a well-worked team goal scored by Nicolas-Gerrit Kuhn.
A first half brace from Nicolas Kuhn and smart Kyogo Furuhashi finish meant City went in behind at the break despite Oscar Bobb also finding the net.
With Celtic’s Scottish Premier League season getting under way in just over one week, their extra sharpness initially told in the Kenan Memorial Stadium’s North Carolina heat.
A defiant second half display, spearheaded by the irrepressible Bobb, pulled City level though with Maximo Perrone and Erling Haaland both on target, but the Scottish champions found a winner through substitute Luis Palma.
It was harsh on City, but the sight of academy products Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, Jadel Katongo, Joel Ndala and Nico O’Reilly all making their senior debuts provided a major positive in our pre-season opener.
With Haaland named captain, Pep Guardiola named a starting XI with a strong mix of experienced internationals and exciting academy talent.
Youngsters Simpson-Pusey and O’Reilly were each handed their senior debuts from the start, and the latter almost grabbed the game’s opening goal inside three minutes when he fired into the side netting after a swift counter.
But despite that bright start it was the Scottish champions who would take the lead ten minutes later.
It was sparked when Kuhn found some space down the City left and raced towards goal, firing into the far corner despite pressure from Josh Wilson-Esbrand.
Celtic had enjoyed the early exchanges, with their additional minutes so far in pre-season showing as Guardiola’s men gradually began to find our feet.
The next big chance would fall our way though, with former City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel pulling off an excellent reaction save to deny Haaland.
The individual battle between our captain and the Celtic stopper continued with the Dane pulling off another phenomenal one-v-one stop as Haaland tried to chip home, but City were beginning to find our rhythm as the half hour mark approached.
And the pressure told soon after when O’Reilly’s clever cut-back was dummied by Haaland into the path of an unmarked Bobb.
The Norwegian’s effort had the sting taken out of it by the onrushing Schmeichel, but still had enough power to trickle into the Celtic net for the equaliser.
But the scores were only level for a few minutes, with Kuhn once again finding the net after being fed down the right before feinting inside and curling past Ortega Moreno.
Kuhn almost turned provider soon after when he cut the ball back into the path of Rio Hatate, but the Japan international’s first-time effort flew the wrong side of the post, much to City’s relief.
It was only a short reprieve though, with Kyogo making it three before the break when he stole a yard in behind before rounding Ortega Moreno and finishing into an empty net.
Into the second half and City enjoyed a dream start with Bobb the architect following great work down the right inside the opening minute.
The Norwegian cut the ball back in to substitute Perrone, who opened up his body and calmly slotted home into the far corner to make it 3-2.
Guardiola’s men were the better team in the opening exchanges, with Joel Ndala almost finding the net on his senior debut when he stung the palms of Celtic substitute Viljami Sinisalo after cutting in from the left.
But the City equaliser would come from the skipper before the hour, with Bobb once again at the move’s centre.
The midfielder floated a cross into the far post from the left after picking up play from Ndala, with Haaland needing no second invitation to power home a header and draw City level for the second time.
A breathless encounter took another twist with 20 to play though, when Celtic beat the City offside trap, allowing Palma to tap home after having the ball squared to him.
We continued to knock on the door, with Ben Knight’s vicious effort tipped over the bar by Sinisalo, but it was to no avail, with City giving our all but ultimately coming up short.
