In a high-octane pre-season friendly, Nicolas Kuhn scored twice and Luis Palma netted the winning goal in the 68th minute, securing a 4-3 victory for Celtic over Manchester City on Tuesday.
Erling Haaland, captaining City for the first time, equalized in the 57th minute, but Palma’s breakaway goal at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan Memorial Stadium sealed the win for Celtic.
The match served as a warm-up for the upcoming 2024-25 season for both Celtic and City, with Pep Guardiola using the opportunity to assess younger talent while resting several stars from the European Championships.
Kasper Schmeichel, in his debut for Celtic, played the first half and made several key saves against Haaland. Kuhn, with a first-half brace, and Palma’s decisive strike highlighted the match.
Despite City’s second-half fightback, including goals from Maximo Perrone and Haaland, Celtic’s counterattack led by Palma clinched the victory. City’s Ben Knight almost equalized in the 76th minute, but was denied by Celtic’s second-half keeper Viljami Sinisalo.
City’s US tour continues with matches against AC Milan, Barcelona, and Chelsea, while Celtic will face Chelsea in South Bend, Indiana.
