After a successful re-introduction to competitive football on Tuesday, Celtic are back in friendly action on Saturday as they host Rennes in Glasgow.
Neil Lennon’s side hold a healthy 3-1 lead over Sarajevo after going to Bosnia in a Champions League first-round qualifying match, with Mikey Johnston, Odsonne Edouard and Scott Sinclair all on target for the Hoops.
It is a result that has taken the pressure off them ahead of Wednesday’s return leg and leaves them with the opportunity to experiment against the Ligue 1 side, who will compete in the Europa League this season after beating Paris Saint-Germain in the Coupe de France final.
| Game | Celtic vs Rennes |
| Date | Saturday, July 13 |
| Time | 3:00pm BST / 10:00am ET |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
For UK readers, get your fix on the latest football on TV here! US readers can find out what soccer is on TV here!
In the United States (US), the game can be streamed via Celtic TV.
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| n/a | Celtic TV |
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game can be streamed via Celtic TV.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| n/a | Celtic TV |
Squads & Team News
| Position | Celtic squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Gordon, Bain, Mullen, Doohan, Hazard |
| Defenders | Bolingoli-Mbombo, Simunovic, Jullien, Ralston, Church, Deas, McInroy, Welsh, Ajer |
| Midfielders | Brown, Christie, Sinclair, Ntcham, McGregor, Morgan, Kouassi, Arzani, Bitton, Forrest, Kennedy, Henderson, Mckay |
| Forwards | Griffiths, Bayo, Edouard, Hayes, Johnston, Miller, Mcgrath, Savoury, Aitchison, Dembele |
Former Toulouse player Christopher Jullien could make his bow for Celtic in this match while Leigh Griffiths should get minutes, too.
Kieran Tierney and Tom Rogic are still injured and Jack Hendry seems unlikely to be ready for action.
Boli Bolingoli and Mikey Johnston both picked up minor problems on Tuesday and are unlikely to be risked ahead of a packed early season schedule.
James Forrest should be fine after coming off with fatigue in Bosnia.
| Position | Rennes squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Koubek, Salin, Bonet |
| Defenders | Gelin, Da Silva, Nyamsi, Maouassa, Diallo, Traore, Boey |
| Midfielders | Camavinga, Bourigeaud, Andre, Grenier, Lea Siliki, Johansson, Poha, Lauriente, Hunou, Guitane, Gboho |
| Forwards | Nkada, Tait, Matondo, Del Castillo, Siebatcheu, Sakho, Tell |
Rennes could hand a debut to new signing Flavien Tait, though they are without Ismaila Sarr, M’Baye Niang, Ramy Bensebaini and Souleyman Doumbia, who are still on Africa Cup of Nations duty.
Betting & Match Odds
Celtic are 10/11 favourites to win this match with Bet365. A draw is priced at 12/5, while Rennes can be backed at 12/5, too.
Match Preview
Getty Images
Preparation for the 2019-20 season has so far gone smoothly for Neil Lennon’s Celtic, who will take on Rennes in their latest friendly match on Saturday.
The Hoops have been thrown in at the deep end with regards their competitive commitments this term, as they have been once again introduced to the Champions League qualifiers at the first round.
That could mean playing every Tuesday or Wednesday throughout July and into August, but the Hoops made an excellent start to their European assault on Wednesday by winning 3-1 in Sarajevo, suggesting that the squad is in a good place.
“It's a great position to be in,” Lennon confessed to BBC Scotland. “Considering where we are, so early and against really decent opposition who are tactically smart and a big threat at set plays, it's a great performance.”
Indeed, Celtic eased to a victory that could have been achieved by an even greater margin had Odsonne Edouard scored when through late on, yet the Frenchman had already found the net with an effort sandwiched by a fine strike from Mikey Johnston and a cheeky back-heel from substitute Scott Sinclair.
Minor injuries to Boli Bolingoli and Mikey Johnston did take some of the polish off what was otherwise a formidable performance, but there were many pluses for the Northern Irishman to draw ahead of a meeting with Rennes.
The French side come into this game very much behind their opponents in terms of their preparations. They have not been back in pre-season for 10 days yet and this is their first friendly.
Moreover, a raft of key players are missing due to current international commitments at the Africa Cup of Nations, meaning that Jullien Stephan’s Coupe de France winners are unlikely to read too much into this result as they prepare for their Trophee des Champions meeting with PSG in Shenzhen on August 3.
