By Milcah Tanimu
Manchester City’s pre-season tour of the United States kicked off with an exhilarating 4-3 loss to Celtic at Kenan Memorial Stadium in North Carolina. Nicolas Kuhn’s first-half brace and a smart finish by Kyogo Furuhashi saw Celtic leading at halftime despite Oscar Bobb scoring for City.
With the Scottish Premier League season starting soon, Celtic’s superior sharpness was evident in the North Carolina heat. City’s spirited second-half comeback, led by Bobb, saw goals from Maximo Perrone and Erling Haaland, but Celtic’s substitute Luis Palma secured the win. The match highlighted City’s promising academy talents, with Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, Jadel Katongo, Joel Ndala, and Nico O’Reilly making their senior debuts.
With Haaland as captain, Pep Guardiola mixed experienced internationals with academy talent in the starting XI. Simpson-Pusey and O’Reilly debuted, with O’Reilly nearly scoring early on. Despite a strong start, Kuhn opened the scoring for Celtic ten minutes in, firing into the far corner under pressure from Josh Wilson-Esbrand.
City’s rhythm improved, and Haaland tested former City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel multiple times. Bobb equalized after O’Reilly’s clever cut-back, but Kuhn restored Celtic’s lead shortly after. Celtic’s Kyogo made it 3-1 before halftime, rounding Ortega Moreno and finishing into an empty net.
City responded early in the second half, with Bobb setting up Perrone to score. Haaland equalized again with a powerful header from Bobb’s cross. However, Palma’s late goal sealed the win for Celtic, despite City’s relentless pressure and a powerful effort from Ben Knight.
City’s lineup featured Stefan Ortega Moreno in goal, with defenders Rico Lewis, Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, Luke Mbete, and Josh Wilson-Esbrand. The midfield included Kalvin Phillips, James McAtee, and Nico O’Reilly, while Oscar Bobb, Jack Grealish, and Erling Haaland formed the attack. Subs included Ederson, Katongo, Doyle, Susoho, Perrone, Ndala, Knight, Hamilton, Carson, Wright, Galvez, Oboavwoduo, Heskey, Fatah, Mfuni, and Samuel.
