Celtic draw 2-2 with Blackburn as pre-season preparations continue

Celtic continued their preparations for the season ahead with a draw against Blackburn in Glasgow.

The Scottish champions lost a late goal to make it 2-2 in the friendly match against the English Championship side on Saturday.

Ange Postecoglou named a strong starting eleven with last season’s star players including Kyogo Furuhashi, Callum McGregor and Joe Hart all returning to Celtic Park for the first time since lifting the Premiership trophy in front of 60,000 fans.

But they were caught sleeping straight from kick-off when Sam Gallagher took advantage of a start to put the visitors ahead after just 23 seconds of the game.

But that early goal was the wake up call the hosts needed as they gradually took control of an entertaining and competitive first half.

Goals from Jota and David Turnbull in quick succession put Postecoglou’s men 2-1 ahead at the break.

The manager made a host of changes at the interval with Siegrist, Bernabei, Maeda, Forrest and Ralston all coming on.

Ideguchi and Johnston were brought on soon after with McCarthy, Jullien and youngsters Rocco Vata and Bosun Lawal also making an appearance as Celtic finished the game with eleven different players than they started it with and the flow of the game was lost as a result.

There were fewer chances for either side in the second half and the game looked as though it had petered out for a Celtic victory when Diaz whipped a free-kick in the bottom corner of Siegrist’s goals for the equaliser with only 15 minutes on the clock.

But all things considered the Celtic manager will be happy with the run out with most of his squad managing to get game time with only two weeks to go before their competitive season begins again against Aberdeen on July 31.