Celtic’s 3-2 victory over Athletic Club from Bilbao last night was the perfect way to wrap up the 2023/24 preseason campaign.
In a game that saw Cameron Carter Vickers return to first team action after his long-term injury, it was players you would least expect who shone most on a wet and celebratory night at Paradise.
Benjamin Siegrist and Scott Bain enjoyed a decent half each, with Joe Hart not appearing at all, interestingly enough. A starting centre back pair of Cameron Carter Vickers and Maik Nawrocki was sure to wet the appetite of Celtic fans, with the latter impressing on his official debut for the club.
Tomoki Iwata and Anthony Ralston had okay games, but both performances indicate investment is needed to provide further quality behind the ever-reliable Alistair Johnston.
Liam Scales continued his renaissance in a hoop’s shirt, the Irishman had an excellent game and surely must be considered a more than competent back up for the upcoming season.
Celtic’s midfield was a tale of two halves, with the first half trio of Kwon Hyeok-Kyu, Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate struggling to deal with the intense Bilbao press. Kwon looked unacquainted with the high press the Spanish opposition adopted at Celtic Park last night, struggling to perform in his usual elegance in such a high-paced match.
However, patience and a small bit of realism is required. The South Korean u23 international is coming from a much lower intensity with respect to the K League 2 and the small matter that last night was his debut at Celtic Park is further proof we should hold back judgements until later down the line.
Odin Thiago Holm, David Turnbull and Matt O’Riley all excelled last night in that technically gifted midfield three.
Holm in particular looked very comfortable in possession and is more than capable of contributing in Celtic’s first phase of build-up.
Daizen Maeda, Kyogo Furuhashi and Oh-Hyeon Gyu all looked sharp. The latter’s Korean compatriot Yang-Hyun-Jun looked promising. Quick, direct and certainly able to compete for that position on the right wing this season.
Brendan Rodgers will certainly have some selection headaches heading into the opening game of the season against Ross County on Saturday.
James French
