celts start pre-season with win

David Friel
CELTIC’S pre-season campaign got off to the perfect start tonight as the SPL champions beat Swiss giants FC Basel 1-0 in an entertaining contest.

Kenny Miller’s first-half strike proved to be the difference as Gordon Strachan utilised his whole squad and was rewarded with a bright display in the Hoops’ first match of the 2007/2008 season.

Against the stunning backdrop of the Jura mountain range in Grenchen, north of Berne, Celtic returned to action a mere 40 days after May’s Scottish Cup final.

Manager Strachan handed debuts to Massimo Donati, Scott Brown and Scott McDonald during this UhrenCup encounter.

The Italian, taking up a central midfield berth, eased his way into the game and showed good composure, defensive discipline and a willingness to drive forward at times.

Brown, on at the break with McDonald as Strachan made eight changes, showed pace and guile in abundance and buzzed about the park in his usual style.

The Australian striker, fulfilling a boyhood dream by pulling on the Hoops, also gave a very good account of himself on a night when every Celtic player produced an excellent performance.

As part of a four-team competition featuring the Hoops, Basel, Red Bull Salzburg and Saturday’s opponent’s BSC Young Boys, there was a capacity crowd inside the compact Grenchen Stadium for undoubtedly the most attractive match of the tournament.

In terms of pre-season work, FC Basel were about two weeks ahead of Celtic going into this contest. On Tuesday, a 3-1 over Red Bull Salzburg in the UhrenCup’s opening match got their season off to a positive start, yet Celtic more than matched them over the entire 90 minutes.

Captained by Steven Pressley in the first half and Stephen McManus in the second period, Celtic took only a minute to carve out the first opening. Mark Wilson, making a welcome return, showed tremendous skill to skip clear on the right flank and cross for Maciej Zurawski.

Nipping in front of Patrik Baumann, the Polish striker slammed a first-time half-volley off the bar. With Celtic making the early running, Aiden McGeady then jinked into space and drove a shot inches wide.

Eduardo, Basel’s main dangerman, showed a first glimpse of his talent when he stung the palms of Mark Brown from the angle of the box. The Celtic goalkeeper also showed great bravery to thwart Cabral from close-range.

Zurawski, profiting from the superb link-up play of Lee Naylor and McGeady, then saw a header tipped past by Franco Costanzo.

At the opposite end, Basel captain Ivan Ergic dragged a shot wide, while Donati’s saving tackle on Cabral prevented a near certain goal for Basel.

Miller glanced a header over the bar and volleyed wide, before firing Celtic ahead. Bjarnason, picking up Francois Marque’s loose pass, threaded a perfect ball into his path and the striker's finish was clinical.

However, Celtic had Brown to thank for keeping them in front at the break – the goalkeeper produced a stunning stop to deny Burgmeier’s curling effort.

In the lead-up to the match, Strachan had hinted that he would make wholesale changes at the break and he remained true to his word.

Only Mark Brown, Mark Wilson and Steven Pressley remained on the pitch as no fewer than eight substitutions were made.

Adam Virgo, McManus, Bobo Balde, Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, Derek Riordan and Jiri Jarosik joined Brown and McDonald in entering the fray.

Jarosik’s clever dink almost released McDonald minutes into the second half, but Costanzo, with a sprawling dive, beat the Australian to the ball and the danger was cleared.

McDonald, connecting cleanly with Virgo’s cross, brought out a fine save from Basel’s Argentine goalkeeper, while compatriot Scott Chipperfield had Basel’s best chance of the half as Celtic finished as comfortable winners.

UhrenCup
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Grenchen Stadium, Switzerland

CELTIC…1
(Miller 42)
FC BASEL…0

CELTIC (4-4-2) M. Brown; Wilson, Pressley, Kennedy (Balde 46), Naylor (McManus 46); McGeady (Riordan 46), Donati (Jarosik 46), Gravesen (S.Brown 46), Bjarnason (Virgo 46); Miller (McDonald 46), Zurawski (Vennegoor of Hesselink 46)

FC BASEL (4-4-2) Costanzo; Hodel (Frei 78), Burgmeier (Rodrigues 78), Baumann, Marque (Chipperfield 79); Morganella, Huggel, Ergic, Cabral; Eduardo, Stocker

WEBSITE MAN OF THE MATCH: Mark Wilson