The club friendly match between Gamba Osaka and Celtic will take place at Suita City Stadium at 3:30 pm IST on Saturday.
Celtic is gearing up for their 2023-24 season and will face Japanese team Gamba Osaka in a pre-season friendly on Saturday. In their previous pre-season match, Celtic engaged in an exciting 10-goal encounter against Yokohama F Marinos, resulting in a 6-4 loss. On the other hand, Gamba Osaka is already 21 matches into their domestic campaign and currently holds the 13th position in the J1 League table.
Gamba Osaka, currently 13th in the J1 League with 26 points from 21 games (seven wins, five draws, nine defeats), will take a break from their league schedule to play a friendly against Celtic. The home team comes into the match in excellent form, winning five of their last six games across all competitions, including a 3-1 victory over Kashiwa Reysol. Gamba Osaka’s recent league struggles saw them finish 15th in the 2022 season, but they have two J1 League titles, the last one in 2014. Although no points are at stake, the friendly provides them with the chance to face a well-established team in European football.
Celtic will conclude their Japan tour on Saturday after a 6-4 loss to Yokohama F Marinos, with Daizen Maeda scoring a hat-trick. They previously faced Fraserburgh in a goalless draw, winning on penalties, and played Portimonense twice, drawing 0-0 and winning 4-1. Before the new season, they have friendlies against Wolverhampton Wanderers (July 29) and Athletic Bilbao (August 1). Celtic’s 2023-24 Scottish Premiership starts at home against Ross County on August 5, followed by an away match against Aberdeen. Last season, they won the title with 99 points from 38 matches. During the summer, Celtic made four signings: Odin Thiago Holm, Yang Hyun-jun, Marco Tilio, and Tomoki Iwata.
Gamba Osaka probable starting lineup: Higashiguchi, Takao, Fukuoka, Kwung-Won, Kurokawa, Yamamoto, Lavi, Dawhan, Meshino, Jebali, Alano
Celtic probable starting lineup: Hart, Scales, Taylor, Starfelt, Kobayashi, Haksabanovic, McGregor, Turnbull, Abada, Maeda, Furuhashi
Gamba Osaka
| Opponents | Score |
| Kashiwa Reysol | 3-1 (W) |
| Kyoto | 1-0 (W) |
| Yokohama FC | 0-0 (D) |
| Kashima Antlers | 2-1 (W) |
| Cerezo Osaka | 1-0 (W) |
Celtic
| Opponents | Score |
| Yokohoma F. Marinos | 4-6 (L) |
| Portimonense | 4-1 (W) |
| Portimonense | 0-0 (D) |
| Iverness | 3-1 (W) |
| Aberdeen | 5-0 (W) |
The upcoming encounter between these two clubs is going to be their first ever match.
The club friendly match between Gamba Osaka and Celtic will take place at Suita City Stadium at 3:30 pm IST on Saturday.
| Gamba Osaka vs Celtic | Key Details |
| Date | July 22 |
| Venue | Suita City Stadium |
| Kickoff time in Japan | 7:00 pm |
| Kickoff time in Scotland | 11:00 am |
| Kickoff time in India | 3:30 pm |
Football fans in Japan can catch the live action via WOWOW Live while those internationally can watch the match via Celtic TV.
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