The Scottish champions turned up the style in the cross-border clash with a thumping win
17:01, 19 Jul 2025Updated 17:42, 19 Jul 2025
Celtic’s Johnny Kenny
Celtic earned their stripes as they hit four to dump Newcastle United and lift the Adidas Trophy.
Brendan Rodgers’ side clipped the Magpies’ wings as an Arne Engels penalty, Johnny Kenny’s strike and second half goals from Hjunjun Yang and Liam Scales did the damage.
Returning hero Kieran Tierney even got in on the act on a brilliant afternoon as he climbed off the bench to provide a trademark assist for Scales’ clincher.
Newcastle started brightly but the Hoops almost went ahead on 20 minutes when Yang’s cross caught Fabian Schar in all sorts of bother and Nick Pope had to turn his own defenders clearance round the post.
However they did streak ahead on 28 minutes when Engels wrong-footed Pope from 12 yards after the Belgian was clipped by Joe Willock as he shaped to slot home Maeda’s cutback.
Kenny – preferred to Idah from the start – missed an absolute sitter when Yang’s cutback only needed touching home but somehow the striker sclaffed wide.
But he made amends when Pope presented a second goal on a plate just before half time. The keeper raced out his box to meet Schmeichel’s punt down the park but misjudged the bounce leaving the onrushing striker a tap in.
Celtic’s Johnny Kenny celebrates scoring against Newcastle (Image: SNS Group)
Newcastle made eight changes at the break. But Celtic made it 3-0 seven minutes in with Maeda grabbing another assist. Last year’s player of the season raced onto McCowan’s ball on the left, turned inside Emil Krath and slipped in Yang to tap home from eight yards.
Scales put the icing on the cake when he rose to bullet home Tierney’s cross past sub keeper Martin Dubravka with 15 minutes to go. Heres five talking points from Parkhead:
First silverware of the season!
Okay, friendlies mean nothing – until it’s a Scottish side beating Premier League opposition. Trumped up pre-season fare or not this was a proper run-out for Celtic against a Newcastle side that might not have been at full strength but were in their face from the start. Celtic were forced onto the back foot for spells but looked comfortable defending against a Champions League side – and hitting on the break. The pace of Maeda was crucial in a game plan that will again likely be rolled out in Europe when the occasion demands.
The sweeping move to win the penalty for the opener was a sign this Celtic side have shaken off the summer rustiness and are close to hitting top gear. And despite changing an entire team after the break, the Hoops ended the game comfortably in control.
Forward thinking
Shin Yamada got a pre-match introduction to the Parkhead faithful after completing his move from Kawasaki Frontale. But Brendan Rodgers knows he still has work to do to fill the goals void left by the departed Kyogo and Nicolas Kuhn. Kenny was handed another chance to shine from the start and chased down the fortuitous second goal impressively. But his missed sitter moments earlier was symbolic of a young striker lacking that killer instinct. Kenny was full of running and has done his first team chances no harm over pre-season. He’s far from the finished article but there is something here to build on. Still, Rodgers won’t mind seeing two of his front three getting on the scoresheet before Adam Idah’s second half introduction.
KT’s second coming
Kieran Tierney started on the bench but the summer signing’s 55th minute introduction – for his first Parkhead appearance since a 3-0 win over Aberdeen in April 2019 – brought one of the biggest roars of the day. And he followed up by producing a delicious cross for Scales to head home 20 minutes later.
It’s going to take something special to top the return of Tierney this summer.
Celtic’s Kieran Tierney
Yet his fellow new arrival Hayato Inamura had again impressed at the left of a back four as Celtic kept the high-flying Magpies at bay in a first half. Austin Trusty also shone at the centre of defence. With Cameron Carter-Vickers still sidelined, his fellow American stopper had to step up to the plate and his positioning was key to thwarting Newcastle’s first half bursts.
Newcy frown
Eddie Howe couldn’t get his backroom team together in time to take the Celtic job four years ago. But the Newcastle boss showed he’s got quite a squad of players at his disposal at Newcastle.
Newcastle’s Bruno Guimaraes against Celtic
He rested Liverpool linked £63m hitman Alexander Isak and Brazil ace Joelinton yet still fielded a star-studded side that included skipper Bruno Guimaraes, Kieren Trippier, Harvey Barnes and Swiss ace Fabian Schar from the start – and strengthened it after the break by adding £55m summer signing Anthony Elanga for his debut, Anthony Gordon and Jamaal Lascelles. They showed flashes of quality but are clearly weeks behind Celtic in preparations.
Brief encounter
Parkhead wasn’t at full tilt as punters voted with their feet over the ticket price for this glamour friendly. But the Toon Army weren’t put off, gobbling up 10,000 tickets to turn the majority of the Lisbon Lions Stand into a sea of black and white. And the flocks of Magpies lived right up to their reputation as one of the EPL’s loudest travelling supports with 90-minutes of energy and, no doubt, well oiled noise. It was a reminder of days gone by when visiting fans helped produce a crackling atmosphere.