BRENDAN RODGERS was clearly delighted with Celtic’s display as goals from Reo Hatate and Luke McCowan gave the champions a 2-0 victory over Sporting Lisbon in the Algarve.
The jigsaw is coming together for the Hoops boss as he saw the team complete their work-out in Portugal with a satisfying triumph.
A beaming Rodgers said: “Performance-wise, it was outstanding. We made another step in our fitness and tactical idea with some of the players coming in.
“Overall, I thought it was a very good performance against a team that are really good. It’s a difficult system they play.
‘Tactically, we were excellent in the game in our pressure and pressing. Some of our football was outstanding.”
DELIGHTED…Brendan Rodgers delivers his aftermatch verdict to Celtic TV.
Rodgers, speaking to Celtic TV, added: “We scored two goals and could have had more, but to play with that confidence was nice and the performance was at a good level.
“It was a very good work-out for us and it ends a great week.”
Kasper Schmeichel made his first appearance of the pre-season and looked safe and sound during his first-half outing.
The Hoops opened brightly and, after a swift exchange involving Callum McGregor, Hatate, Benjamin Nygren and Daizen Maeda, striker Adam Idah had a chance, but his drive was saved by Rui Silva.
The Sporting net minder also defied Nygren and Maeda in the first-half before Hatate opened the scoring via the penalty spot two minutes after the break.
Viljami Sinisalo and Johnny Kenny had already come on for Schmeichel and Idah by the time Celtic took the lead.
NUMBER ONE…Reo Hatates watches his penalty-kick squrm past Rui Silva.
NUMBER TWO…Luke McCowan places the ball wide of the helpless keeper.
Referee Ricardo Beixinho had no hesitation in pointing to the spot after the young Irishman had been sent tumbling. Hatate fired a low effort to the right and the keeper got a touch, but couldn’t prevent the ball from bouncing into the net.
Rodgers’ men escaped when a shot from Conrad Harder swept past Sinisalo, but smacked off the post on its way past.
On the 66th-minute mark, the Hoops gaffer made wholesale changes as he replaced Ralston, Murray, Scales, Tierney, McGregor, Nygren, Hatate, Forrest and Maeda with McPherson, Donovan, Trusty, Inamura, Ure, McCowan, Engels, Tilio and Yang.
Five minutes later, McCowan doubled his team’s advantage. The midfielder started the move as he knocked a ball wide to Kenny on the left and the pacy attacker skipped past a couple of challenges before slipping a pass inside to his team-mate.
McCowan took a deft touch to leave a defender in his wake before slotting past Silva.
Rodgers and his players now head back to prepare for the visit of Newcastle United on Saturday.
FIRST-HALF TEAM: Schmiechel; Ralston, Murray, Scales, Tierney; Nygren, McGregor, Hatate; Forrest, Maeda, Idah. Subs: Sinisalo, Doohan, Clarke, Rice, Trusty, Yang, McCowan, Osmand, Tilio, Kenny, Inamura, Engels, Summers, Montgomery, McPherson, Ure, McArdle, Donovan.
