Celtic have enjoyed a high-profile tour of the USA this summer and it concludes with another big meeting against English Premier League opposition on Saturday....CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING.>>
Brendan Rodgers’ Bhoys face off against Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea as both teams continue their pre-season preparations for the 2024/25 campaign.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Celtic have already enjoyed victories over DC United and Manchester City while the Blues opened their tour with a 2-2 draw against Wrexham in California.
Later, the two clubs will go head-to-head at the iconic Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana – home of the university’s Fighting Irish college football team.
The arena holds close to a mighty 78,000 people at capacity and while Saturday’s fixture will be far from a sell-out, a healthy attendance is still expected.
Thousands set to enjoy Celtic test vs Chelsea
Lee Sicinski, Notre Dame University’s associate vice
president of event management, told The South Bend Tribune that crowds are expected to be similar to the 2019 meeting between Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund at the same venue.
The attendance that night confirmed by Liverpool was 40,361. A turnout around that number would be seen as very successful from a Celtic perspective.
The official crowd for the match against DC United was 18,590 while ESPN reports that 30,000 fans attended the Man City fixture in North Carolina.
Brendan Rodgers hails Celtic’s pre-season work
Speaking in a pre-match media conference, Rodgers was asked about the energy level within the Celtic squad at the end of their USA stint.
The manager said [Celtic FC]: “It’s very high. Of course naturally after being away from home and from their families for a long period of time it can get that, towards the end of a tour, the energy does drop but I haven’t seen that from the players.
“The organisation from the club and what they’ve put into this trip has been absolutely fantastic. Everything has been very smooth for us.
“We arrive at our final game in a really good place. The energy is really positive. The football, in fitness and tactically, it’s getting better. We’re in a really good place.”
Capping it all off with a win over Chelsea would be a perfect end to the summer and the ideal prelude for Flag Day at home to Kilmarnock next Sunday.
