Manchester City’s highly anticipated pre-season tour of the United States got off to a shоck start with a 4-3 defeat to Celtic in North Carolina.

The Scottish champions proved sharper in the opening stages, taking a commanding 3-1 lead into halftime thanks to goals from Nicolas Kuhn and Kyogo Furuhashi. While Oscar Bobb managed to pull one back for City, Celtic’s early dominance was evident.

The second half saw a much-improved performance from Pep Guardiola’s side, with Maximo Perrone and Erling Haaland finding the net to level the score. However, a late goal from Celtic substitute Luis Palma dashed City’s hopes of a comeback.

Despite the disappointing result, there were positives to take away from the match.

The debuts of academy players Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, Jadel Katongo, Joel Ndala, and Nico O’Reilly offered a glimpse into the club’s promising future.

As City continue their pre-season campaign, they will be looking to bounce back and build momentum ahead of the new season.