In a commanding display, Celtic overwhelmed Chelsea with a 4-1 win during their pre-season friendly at Notre Dame Stadium in Indiana. The Scottish Premiership champions wasted no time, with Matt O’Riley opening the scoring with a composed finish following a pass from Greg Taylor. O’Riley then turned into a playmaker, assisting Kyogo Furuhashi, who doubled Celtic’s lead before the halftime whistle.
Despite holding more possession and creating more shooting opportunities, Chelsea struggled to find the back of the net. Celtic’s new goalkeeper, Kasper Schmeichel, was in superb form, making crucial saves to keep the Premier League side at bay.
The Scottish side’s dominance continued in the 76th minute when Luis Palma took advantage of a defensive mix-up between Robert Sanchez and Benoit Badiashile, effectively rolling in Celtic’s third goal. Just three minutes later, Palma added to the scoreline by assisting Mikey Johnston, who fired a shot under Sanchez, sealing the victory for Celtic.
Chelsea managed to find a consolation goal when Christopher Nkunku scored from the penalty spot, but it was a mere footnote in a disappointing outing for the Blues.
With this victory, Celtic wrapped up their U.S. tour with a second triumph over top-flight opposition, building on their recent win against Manchester City. Meanwhile, Chelsea, under new manager Enzo Maresca—who joined from Leicester City in June—has yet to record a win. Following a midweek draw with League One newcomers Wrexham, the team will look to regroup as they prepare to face Mexican side Club America in their next friendly.
Credit: BBC Sport
