CELTIC 2 AC MILAN 2
CAMILO DURAN stole the show again as he netted for the third game in a row in the friendly against AC Milan at Parkhead this afternoon.
The £5.5million recruit from Qarabag completed his personal hat-trick after previously scoring in the warm-up matches against Sporting Lisbon and Middlesbrough.
Duran displayed Daizen Maeda-like reactions as he netted the opening goal before setting up a second for James Forrest.
The visitors fought back to net twice within six minutes to earn a draw, but the Hoops played well enough to give Martin O’Neill food for thought.
There were only 11 minutes on the clock when Duran again demonstrated his lightning-swift reflexes when defender Strathinja Pavlovic attempted a risky passback from the left.
The new Bhoy read the situation perfectly and raced in to stroke the ball behind exposed keeper Lorenzo Torriani to give the Hoops the lead.
And only moments later, the energetic Colombian came close to charging down a clearance from the alarmed shotstopper as the lively frontman continued to threaten.
HAPPY DAZE…Camilo Duran races away in triumph after scoring the opening goal.
In the 28th minute, he was first to another dodgy passback from an Italian defender.
The angle was too tight for Duran to attempt a shot so, quick as a flash, he switched the ball inside to Forrest who didn’t hesitate before lashing in the second goal.
The evergreen winger made way at the interval for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain while Sean McArdle came on for Luke McCowan.
A minute after the restart, referee Nick Walsh awarded the visitors a ludicrous penalty-kick after he bought a dive from Francesco Camarda following a challenge from Cameron Carter-Vickers.
Even the Milan players had the good grace to look surprised, but it didn’t prevent Camarda from dusting himself down and then thumping an unstoppable drive high into the roof of Viljami Sinisalo’s net.
In the 52nd minute, it was all-square as the Celtic defence went to sleep.
Samuel Chukwueze breezed effortlessly past Kieran Tierney on the left and whipped in an inviting cross that saw central defenders Carter-Vickers and Dane Murray posted missing.
That man Camarda was allowed a free header smack in front of goal and Sinisalo was left helpless once again.
In the 63rd minute, manager O’Neill responded as he introduced Anthony Ralston, Liam Scales and Callum Osmand for Tierney, Carter-Vickers and Sebastian Tounekti.
Thirteen minutes later, it was the turn of Reo Hatate, Paulo Bernardo and Thomas Hatton to make an appearance as they replaced Callum McGregor, Arne Engels and Duran.
Only moments after coming on, young Hatton came within inches of a glorious goal to mark his arrival.
The 19-year-old attacker surged forward from the halfway line, eased past two challenges on his way to the edge of the box before unleashing a right-foot drive.
The ball looked destined for the keeper’s top right-hand corner until it veered just off target.
In the 83rd minute, Hatton fired over a superb left-wing cross that was touched just wide by Oxlade-Chamberlian from close range.
The former England international midfielder should have done better.
In the 89th minute, Adam Montgomery came on for Donovan as the encounter headed for stalemate.
Now it’s all eyes on Parkhead a week on Monday when the Premiership gets underway with the visit of Dundee.
TEAM: Sinisalo; Donovan (sub: Montgomery 89), Carter-Vickers (sub: Scales 63), Murray, Tierney (sub: Ralston 63); McCowan (sub: McArdle 46), McGregor (sub: Bernardo 76), Engels (sub: Hatate 76); Forrest (sub: Oxlade-Chamberlain 46), Duran (sub: Hatton 76), Tounekti (sub: Osmand 63)
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