City 1 Celtic 1 (City won 6 – 5 on penalties)
Report by Colin Hall
Leicester City earned cross-border bragging rights with a 6-5 victory on penalties at Scottish champions Celtic in the second game of the 2016-17 pre-season, after the sides fought out a 1-1 draw during 90 minutes.
On their first-ever visit to Celtic Park, the Foxes encountered a surprisingly-stiff test by hosts whose spirit, motivation and general cohesion were well above the levels glimpsed during their preceding Champions League qualifying matches with Gibraltarian minnows Lincoln Red Imps.
Both sides appeared ready to accept the draw, but the demands of the International Champions Cup, of which this encounter formed a part, ensured that a penalty shootout was required to settle the outcome, and Kasper Schmeichel's superb save from home substitute Forrest, together with a series of composed, clinical finishes by the City spot-kick takers, secured the visitors' triumph.
Schmeichel, though, had started the evening on the bench too, as Claudio Ranieri fielded a distinctly experimental back line. New signings Zieler, Hernandez and Mendy were all handed their first starts in a much-changed City starting eleven.
Drinkwater and Morgan both saw efforts blocked in the opening minutes as the visitors started strongly, before a superb move involving Mahrez and Albrighton sent Ulloa clear, only for the striker to send his shot wide of the far post.
The home side took heart from their let-off, with Zieler being forced into action to deny both Griffiths and Dembele in quick succession. City stepped up a gear in response, though, with Riyad Mahrez again showing the form which won him so many accolades and awards last season.
Although the breakthrough would elude him during the first half, it arrived within seconds of the restart. An Ulloa flick found the Algerian in space on the right and he bamboozled two Celtic defenders before beating the keeper with a trademark curling finish and receiving the accolades of the 3000-strong visiting contingent.
City might have gone further ahead minutes later, as sub Musa dispossessed home keeper Gordon near the corner flag. However, with no team-mates in the box, he was forced to delay his cross and the chance eventually went to waste.
Handed an unlikely lifeline, Celtic duly exploited it with almost immediate effect, as the ball ran loose to O'Connell on the edge of the City area and the youngster had the time and composure to pick his spot and fire home the equaliser. It was the type of goal which City conceded so rarely last season, suggesting that the absence of a certain French midfielder may be keenly felt in the coming weeks.
The goal sparked a previously-dormant home crowd into life and the resurgent hosts forced City to endure long spells of pressure. In an increasingly-isolated break, however, Mahrez almost teed up a tap-in for Musa, but the cross took a slight deflection behind the onrushing attacker.
With a stream of substitutions on both sides, neither could find any real rhythm in the closing minutes, though Okazaki came close to snatching victory for City when heading a Simpson cross narrowly wide.
As the shootout began, tensions within the stadium increased notably, with both sets of fans well aware of their teams' indifferent recent records in such contests.
Nevertheless, on this occasion, Schmeichel's greater experience and physical presence proved decisive, as the Foxes emerged victorious in the first of three clashes with fellow national champions during a period of 11 days.
City were even afforded a luxury of parading a trophy in front of their jubilant supporters, but Ranieri will be aware that his side is still very much a work in progress and that improvements will be needed to prolong the winning run against tougher opponents in the weeks ahead.
Celtic (3-5-2): Gordon (Fasan 62); Janko, Lustig (Ambrose 46) O’Connell; Roberts (Forrest 62), McGregor (Johansen 62), Brown (c) (Allan 75), Armstrong (Christie 75), Izaguirre; Griffiths (Rogic 75), Dembele (Ciftci 62).
Subs not used: Fisher, Henderson
Goal: O’Connell 59
Penalties scored: Ciftci (1-0), Johansen (2-1), Allan (3-2), O'Connell (4-3), Christie (5-4).
Penalty missed: Forrest
City (4-4-2): Zieler (Schmeichel 46); Amartey, Hernandez (Huth 62), Morgan (c) (Wasilewski 62), Chilwell; Mahrez (Fuchs 71), Mendy (Simpson 46), Drinkwater, Albrighton (Schlupp 46); Gray (Musa 46), Ulloa (Okazaki 62).
Goal: Mahrez 46
Penalties scored: Fuchs (1-1), Wasilewski (2-2), Drinkwater (3-3), Chilwell (4-4), Okazaki (5-5), Amartey (6-5).
Attendance: 32,658
The views expressed in this report are the opinions of the Trust member nominated to file the report only and do not represent the views of the Foxes Trust organisation