Celtic and Newcastle meet in a pre-season friendly on Friday, July 19, at Celtic Park, offering both clubs a valuable opportunity to sharpen fitness and integrate new faces before their competitive campaigns begin. This fixture pits the Scottish champions against a Premier League side that continues to grow under Eddie Howe, and it promises an entertaining contest between two attack-minded teams in front of a passionate crowd in Glasgow.
Celtic arrive having completed another strong season domestically. They won the league with a comfortable cushion, posting an impressive xPTS tally that reflected their dominance, and they scored freely while maintaining one of the best xG figures in Scotland. Even in friendlies this summer, their attacking play has been lively, though they did show some defensive rustiness against Estrela da Amadora.
Newcastle, meanwhile, finished fifth in the Premier League last season, earning a return to European football and collecting an xPTS total that closely matched their final position. Howe’s side also maintained one of the highest xG totals in the league, driven by Alexander Isak’s finishing and their creative wide players.
Both teams are expected to give minutes to fringe players and summer signings, but the quality on show should still produce an open game. Given the way both sides ended their seasons and their tendency to create chances, this friendly could be both competitive and entertaining.
How the bookies view it: Odds not yet available
Head to Head: Newcastle edge it
Celtic and Newcastle have met only a handful of times, as they play in different domestic leagues and rarely cross paths outside of friendlies.
Their most notable meeting in recent memory came in a pre-season friendly in July 2022, when Newcastle ran out 4-1 winners at St. James’ Park. On that occasion, Newcastle’s sharper fitness and clinical finishing made the difference, with goals from Callum Wilson, Allan Saint-Maximin and others.
Earlier encounters between the clubs were even less frequent. One of the few competitive meetings came in the 1970s Anglo-Scottish Cup, though records from those fixtures are limited, and the tournaments were often not taken seriously by either side.
In general, Newcastle have won both of the last two friendlies between the teams, while Celtic’s last recorded win over Newcastle came back in the 1990s, also in a friendly at Celtic Park, which they edged 2-1.
Players to watch: Barnes a constant threat
Harvey Barnes is a reliable shooter who consistently threatens goal when given minutes. Last season he made 17 starts, taking 48 shots, and managed at least two shots in 13 of those starts. His willingness to cut inside and shoot early makes him one of Newcastle’s most direct attackers. Barnes registered 21 shots on target from 63 total shots, hitting the target about one in three times.
He also averaged roughly 0.6 shots on target per start, underlining his accuracy. In a friendly, with more space and less defensive intensity, Barnes is well placed to take multiple attempts. His sharpness, attacking role and proven record suggest at least one shot on target is very likely
Predicted line-ups
Celtic (likely 4-3-3): Schmeichel; Ralston, Scales, Inamura, Tierney; Engels, McGregor, Hatate; Nygren, Maeda, Idah
Newcastle (likely 4-3-3): Dubravka; Ashby, Schar, Lascelles, Targett; Hernes, Willock, Joelinton; Elanga, Osula, Barnes
Anything else catch the eye?
Over 2.5 goals looks a strong angle for this match given the patterns of both sides in similar settings. Newcastle’s pre-season friendlies last summer averaged more than 3.5 goals per game, and their most recent competitive away fixtures also showed a trend toward high scores, with seven of their last nine exceeding the 2.5 line. In particular, they scored multiple times themselves in five of those matches, showing they can carry attacking threat even with rotation.
Celtic’s own pre-season results often feature goals at both ends, largely because of their aggressive press and high line. In their last five friendlies, all produced at least three goals, and their xG conceded numbers in these games suggest they can be vulnerable when experimenting.
When these teams last met, a friendly two summers ago, the match produced four goals, and both clubs have become even more attacking since then. On neutral ground, without home pressure, games tend to open up more quickly. Both managers also use these matches to assess offensive players and attacking patterns rather than focusing on defensive structure. All of this suggests the over is well worth considering here.
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