Celtic close out pre-season on Saturday at Parkhead against AC Milan, still searching for their first win of the summer. It marks Ruben Amorim's first match in charge of the Rossoneri following Massimiliano Allegri's dismissal. Both clubs arrive in transition, though for different reasons.
Martin O'Neill's side have drawn with Shelbourne and Middlesbrough and lost 4-1 to Sporting CP. The Middlesbrough fixture drew only around 5,000 supporters as protests against the board continue, with Camilo Duran the sole summer signing so far. Flag day against Dundee follows in nine days.
Milan collapsed at the end of last season, losing six of their final ten Serie A matches to finish fifth and miss out on the Champions League. Amorim, formerly of Manchester United, has been tasked with the rebuild. After Glasgow, Milan face Inter in Perth, Chelsea in Indonesia and United in Wroclaw before opening at Torino on August 23.
Celtic vs AC Milan: Key Stats
Head-to-head: 12 matches, Milan 8 wins, Celtic 1 win, 3 draws
Celtic are yet to win in pre-season, drawing twice and losing once
Celtic lost 4-1 to Sporting CP in their heaviest pre-season defeat
This is Amorim's first match in charge of Milan
Milan lost 6 of their final 10 Serie A fixtures last season
Photo Credit (Getty Images)
What to Expect
O'Neill will want a lineup resembling the one that faces Dundee on Monday. Cameron Carter-Vickers returned against Middlesbrough after rupturing his ACL in October, lasting an hour, which represents a significant boost. Daizen Maeda is absent amid transfer speculation, with question marks over Reo Hatate and Arne Engels for the same reason.
Celtic's World Cup contingent have yet to feature this summer. Alistair Johnston, Kieran Tierney, Auston Trusty, Anthony Ralston, Yang Hyun-jun, Benjamin Nygren and Sebastian Tounekti are all back and could see minutes.
Amorim has limited options for his first match. Christian Pulisic suffered a microfracture and bone bruise to his right tibia at the World Cup and faces weeks out. Maignan, Modric, Leao, Rabiot, Saelemaekers, Gimenez, De Winter, Estupinan and Jashari are not expected to feature, while Goncalo Ramos remains on holiday. New arrivals Mario Gila and Francesco Camarda could debut, and a back three is the one certainty.
Predicted Lineups
Celtic (4-3-3)
Sinisalo; Donovan, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Murray; McGregor, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Engels; Forrest, McCowan, Duran
AC Milan (3-4-3)
Terracciano; Pavlovic, Tomori, Gila; Athekame, Musah, Ricci, Bartesaghi; Chukwueze, Loftus-Cheek, Nkunku
Players to Watch
Cameron Carter-Vickers - Returns to something close to full fitness after nine months out, and his presence transforms Celtic's defensive structure. Managing his minutes ahead of the league opener will be O'Neill's priority.
Camilo Duran - Celtic's only summer signing and scored against Middlesbrough. With the fanbase frustrated by the lack of recruitment, the pressure on him to justify the outlay is considerable.
Christopher Nkunku - Leads Milan's attack in the absence of their World Cup contingent. His movement and finishing give Amorim a genuine focal point in a heavily rotated side.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek - Offers Milan physicality and drive from midfield, and suits the system Amorim favours. He should see significant minutes in the manager's first outing.
Prediction
Prediction: Both teams to score @ 1.50
Both squads are missing substantial numbers, and Milan are fielding a side under a manager taking charge for the first time. Celtic have conceded in every pre-season fixture, while Milan's defensive frailties were exposed repeatedly at the end of last season.
Milan hold a strong historical record with eight wins from twelve meetings, and their individual quality should tell despite the disruption. Celtic will want to give a restless home support something positive before the league campaign begins, and a goal at Parkhead looks likely. Goals at both ends is the most reliable read in a game where the result is difficult to call.
