Celtic’s pre-season has come to a close with a 2-2 draw against Italian giants AC Milan.
A storming start, spearheaded by the again-impressive Camilo Duran, saw the Hoops race into a 2-0 lead within half an hour.
After the break, a quickfire brace from wonderkid Francesco Camarda brought Milan level, and that was how an evenly-matched friendly would end.
Here are three things we learned from the encounter…
🔚 And that’s a wrap for Celtic’s pre-season!
What did we make of an entertaining draw with AC Milan?
Camilo Duran: the new main man?
The Colombian made it three goals in three pre-season games, and he certainly seems to have his style of goalscoring.
Martin O’Neill referred to him as “Daizen Maeda 2.0” after his debut, in what was presumably a tongue-in-cheek comment.
But with each game, it’s increasingly looking like Duran boasts exactly the same intensity and work-ethic which made Maeda such a fan-favourite.
Daizen would’ve been proud of how the 24-year-old pounced on Strahinja Pavlovic’s slack pass to open the scoring after just ten minutes.
His overall performance was also excellent, with tidy link-up play and constant pressure on the Milan backline.
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Tounekti and Tierney fast-tracked
A major hint from O’Neill was that both Sebastian Tounekti and Kieran Tierney were given a full 60 minutes of football in their first appearances of pre-season.
Both were eliminated in the group stages of the World Cup, starting just one of their respective nations’ three games.
Crucially, both are also the only recognised players in their positions in O’Neill’s squad.
Marcelo Saracchi’s departure has left Tierney as the only senior left-back, whilst Daizen Maeda’s exit means that Tounekti is the only wide option who prefers the left.
Expect both to be fast-tracked into O’Neill’s starting XI for Celtic’s Scottish Premiership opener against Dundee next Monday.
🚨 LIFT OFF FOR KASPER!!!
Celtic look to have a new club-record signing…
Thomas Hatton impressive again
This was the fourth successive pre-season friendly in which Thomas Hatton was involved, and the 19-year-old made an impression again.
Cutting in from the left wing, he almost scored the goal of pre-season with his first involvement, taking 25-time France international Youssef Fofana out of the game before working the angle for an effort from 20 yards.
Shortly later, he was picked out by Anthony Ralston before delivering an inch-perfect cross from which Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain ought to have scored.
Celtic also could’ve had a penalty after Hatton skinned Filippo Terracciano and forced an intervention from goalkeeper Lorenzo Torriani.
All-round, he looks like a positive, forward-thinking winger with encouraging end product to match. Hopefully this isn’t the last we see of him in a Celtic shirt.
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