The Hoops triumphed in a robust begin to their UEFA Youth League marketing campaign, comfortably securing a win over Slovan Bratislava.
Targets got here from Daniel Cumming who bagged two because the striker’s optimistic type continued, in addition to Francis Turely and Samuel Isiguzo getting on the scoresheet.
Each side, having beforehand had up-and-down leads to the UEFA Youth League, needed a robust starting to the newly structured match, and Celtic did simply that.
The solar beamed down on Lesser Hampden, generally known as The Metropolis Stadium (House of Queens Park), for a much-anticipated assembly at two o’clock on Wednesday.
The primary 5 minutes have been a case of each groups sizing one another up. Slovan Bratislava have been extraordinarily organised of their two banks of 4 making an attempt to maintain the Celtic assault at bay.
Bratislava’s Alexej Maros gave the Celts a scare as he reacted sharply latching onto a unfastened ball on the fringe of the field. Making a one-on-one alternative he was carefully denied as Celtic Goalkeeper Aidan Rice was fast to make himself large.
Shortly after the chance for Bratislava to come back out on prime Celtic scored at minute 9 in emphatic type. A fast mixture from the midfielders created area on the proper flank and Turley struck a agency go throughout purpose which Celtic’s Daniel Cummings netted confidently at point-blank vary.
From the early breakthrough, Celtic have been breeding confidence. A stunning floated ball excessive of the Bratislava defence caught them off guard as Turley discovered himself in an remoted space with Balog to face and the Slovakian keeper held his personal strongly saving together with his ft to tip the shot by the publish.
Bratislava stayed organised and exhausting to play by way of in addition to urgent excessive up the pitch once they might to try to squeeze Celtic, nevertheless, the left-hand aspect of Mitchel Body and Thomas Hatton have been troublesome to comprise as they two always linked collectively to open up their defence.
A scarcity of focus on the again for Celtic led to Bratislava’s artistic quantity ten Samuel Murar to nip in entrance of Lenny Agbaire who recovered nicely for his aspect clearing his strains to maintain the hazard clear.
The waves of assault saved on coming for Celtic. An intricate go that broke by way of the strains of the Slovan Bratislava defence from Jude Bonnar discovered their talisman Cummings who calmly slipped a one-touch end previous Balog making it 2-0 in 23 minutes.
Slovan Bratislava by no means gave up within the first half. Winger Maros continued to attempt to create and in the reduction of a stunning ball after going by two Celtic defenders nevertheless it was reduce out earlier than it might discover Murar within the field.
The sport started to settle after the 2 objectives as Celtic turned snug and loved having the ball. For Bratislava, their very organised set-up stayed the identical and continued to pounce excessive when there have been any alternatives to interrupt by way of.
Simply earlier than the half got here to an finish the primary yellow card of the match was handed to Celtic midfielder Kyle Ure after fouling Sebastian Fronko. It was an try and win the ball in a sliding 50/50 nevertheless it was deemed harmful by Danish referee Jacob Karlsen.
Half-Time: Celtic 2-0 SK Slovan Bratislava
And Celtic didn’t cease there. Straight from the half commencing a cutting-edge go from Ure to interrupt by way of the Bratislava midfield discovered Turley. The winger took a peaceful contact outdoors the field discovering himself a half-yard reducing in and refiling a right-footed strike previous Balog into the underside left nook from vary. A purpose that displayed pure high quality within the forty sixth minute.
Frustration took over Bratislava’s Simon Held who was booked for an uncontrolled problem making it two yellows within the UEFA Youth League encounter.
Confidence was expressed in Celtic’s type of play because the ball was discovered broad to proper again Josh Dede his low whip throughout the field was narrowly missed by a sliding Thomas Hatton who tried to stab in a fourth.
Bratislava have been holding on and defending their field extraordinarily nicely to forestall a bigger deficit. Substitute Peter Holocsy took issues into his personal palms as he danced by Celtic’s midfield in a sublime method masking a big distance and discovering himself in a very good space, however his effort went simply over the bar.
Slovan Bratislava continued to struggle on trying to create and discover a chance working exhausting to press and keep of their organised construction.
With 5 minutes to go Celtic substitutes Aiden Haddow and Samuel Isiguzo took benefit down the right-hand aspect as Isiguzo performed a stunning weighted go broad to Haddow whose pinpoint cross discovered the run of his fellow teammate who knocked a bullet header dwelling to wrap issues up at Lesser Hampden and make it 4-0.
Full-Time: Celtic FC 4-0 SK Slovan Bratislava
Celtic Participant of the Match: Thomas Hatton
Hatton was all the time being artistic and direct as a winger placing the full-back beneath strain to create possibilities.
Slovan Bratislava Participant of the Match: Maximillian Marko
Despite the fact that the sport was robust for his aspect, the captain continued to attempt to be ingenious and optimistic to claw again objectives and confirmed nice perspective in doing so.
Celtic Magic Second:
Francis Turley’s purpose for its method and execution was of sheer high quality and ruthlessness exhibiting nice expertise.
Slovan Bratislava Magic Second:
Alexej Maros dribbled previous the Celtic defenders within the first half to create a very good alternative for his teammate he confirmed nice velocity and creativeness to get his workforce a chance.
Celtic U19s
70 Aidan Rice
46 Mitchel Body
50 Lenny Agbaire
52 Mitchell Robertson
53 Josh Dede
54 Kyle Ure
55 Daniel Cummings
59 Jude Bonar
63 Colby Donovan
64 Thomas Hatton
66 Francis Turley
Substitutes
71 Marcus Gill
95 Corey Shaw
62 Sean Mcardle
65 Rhys Dargie
68 Alasdair Davidson
72 Aiden Haddow
73 Andrew Kyle
76 Samuel Isiguzo
80 Hayden Borland
Coach: Stephen McManus
Slovan Bratislava U19s
1 David Balog
4 Robert Tomanek
5 Tomas Marusin
6 Sebastian Fronko
8 Maximillian Marko
9 Maxim Mateas
10 Samuel Murar
11 Alexej Maros
16 Simon Held
17 Oliver Spisiak
18 Maxime Denko
Substitutes
30 Artur Vydareny
31 Daniel Gramblicka
2 Simon Polakovic
3 Dominik Balog
12 Peter Holocsy
13 Eduard Kozyk
14 Simon Peter Rusek
15 Adam Canolli
19 Mikulas Jozsa
Coach: Michal Suchomel
