Manchester City will kick off their pre-season campaign with a friendly against Celtic on Wednesday at the Kenan Memorial Stadium in North Carolina.
This match is an exciting encounter between the reigning champions of the Premier League and the Scottish Premiership.
Pep & Man City Begin Preparations for Up-Coming Season | Home Win = 2.14
Pep Guardiola will oversee his English title-winning side in yet another pre-season tour, as the Spanish tests his team's readiness with a couple of friendly games, the first of which is against Brendon Rodgers’s Celtic.
The Citizens are coming off yet another record-setting season, having secured their fourth consecutive Premier League title in a row, but losing out of both the UEFA Champions League and FA Cup to Real Madrid and Manchester United, the eventual winners.
Man City's pre-season tour of the USA will also include matches against AC Milan, Barcelona, and Chelsea, providing a robust test for the squad before they face Manchester United in the Community Shield on August 10 and try to lift an unprecedented fifth straight Premier League title when the season starts.
In-Form Celtic Look to Test Themselves at the Highest Level | Away Win = 2.90
Under the guidance of returning manager Brendan Rodgers, Celtic enter this friendly with the hope of finding a much tougher test after their thrilling 6-4 win over Queen's Park was followed by a convincing 4-0 victory over DC United.
Rodgers, who rejoined Celtic after a mixed stint with Leicester City, has quickly reinstated his influence, leading the team to a league and cup double last season. The Scottish champions are preparing for another season of dominance in the Premiership and a better Champions League campaign than the one they had last season.
If Celtic are to withstand the competition from Rangers in the league to successfully defend their Scottish Premiership title and do better in Europe’s elite competition, they will need a very good team and what way to see if they have that than friendlies against City and Chelsea, their next after this one?
Key Players & Team News:
For Manchester City, key players like Haaland, Ortega, and Nunes with new signings like Savinho, are all expected to feature as Guardiola assesses his squad's readiness for the new season, fine-tuning their strategies and building fitness levels.
Midfielder Matt O'Riley has been in excellent form, scoring twice in their recent match, and is expected to play a part against City as Rodgers aims to integrate new signings and solidify his starting line-up ahead of their league opener.
Match Stats & Betting Odds | Draw = 3.85
There have been three (3) draws in the previous four (4) meetings between Manchester City and Celtic in all competitions (1-1, 3-3, 1-1) with one being a friendly like this one and two being in the UEFA Champions League. | Main Market: Draw = 3.85
Man City are unbeaten against Celtic having managed one (1) win, (2-1), and three (3) draws against the Scottish club from their last four (4) meetings with them. | Specials Market: Home/Draw and Over 2.5 = 2.10
Celtic are unbeaten in their last five (5) games in all competitions having won four (4) and drawing one (1), while they are also unbeaten against City in their last two (2) meetings each (1-1, 3-3). | Specials Market = Draw/Away and Over 2.5 = 2.60
You can check out the Man City vs. Celtic pre-season friendly on MSport here.