Prior to the game, Brendan Rodgers said he believed it was a crime that he couldn’t play more first-team games with some of his bench players.
When it appeared as though the Irish team would leave the Celtic manager red-faced, the Hoops pulled off a 3-2 victory over Sligo Rovers, thanks in large part to Luis Palma. Even though Rodgers’ side ultimately prevailed, he may not feel as bad about it because none of his backup players appear to be in danger of ever making it into the starting lineup. As the Celts got out to a flying, Palma gave it a shot and had a better chance than most.
The friendly match between two clubs with storied connections was bursting at the seams at the Showgrounds, with Aaron Valle getting another 45 minutes under his belt and Luke McCowan trying to help out the younger players alongside him. However, a couple of shockers from Scott Bain turned the match on its head, and it could have been worse for the slack Celts in a worrying opening period.
However, for several of the Celtic Park players, the future is still unclear. After just eight minutes, against a Rovers team playing at full strength, Palma pounced to drive it from Yang’s deep cross, giving Rodgers’s players ample reason to assume a stroll. However, for the remainder of the first half, Celtic was on the receiving end of a couple of howlers from Bain.
Kailin Barlow curled a shot from the edge of the box thanks to some careless play in the middle of the field. The ball slid through Bain’s hands and into the net, as if he were torn between catching it and pawing it over the bar.
Even worse was to come as he slowed down to let Simon Power’s 20-yard trundler through for the second goal. To be fair, Bain somewhat atoned for his mistakes with some deft stops as Rovers threatened to humiliate Celts.
The second half saw some improvement, and by the finish, Rovers were struggling to survive as the Parkhead men applied more pressure. Before Palma appeared again during the stoppage time to tuck in from close range and spare some blushes, it appeared as though they would succeed.
To be fair to the Polish defense, with so little game experience, he was probably rustier than an old gate. Although he made some excellent passes from the back, he was caught too many times to be comfortable against the League of Ireland’s sixth-place team. It’s a hard one to work out considering it wasn’t so long ago; the former Legia Warsaw man was part of the Poland squad and almost went to the World Cup in 2022. Nawrocki is no longer a top pick at Parkhead, and there is little chance he will be called up anytime soon.
Like Nawrocki, Luis Palma has landed in a boat, and the wide man likewise has an unclear future ahead of him. This week, Palma’s grandfather insisted that his son would work hard to win back Brendan Rodgers’ favor.
He appeared resolute in doing the business in Ireland. He capitalized on his early goal and won the game by being in the right spot at the right moment. Even though he received his reward in the end, there is still a good chance that he won’t be able to return to the starting lineup or stick around behind January.
After making an impression against Ross County over the weekend, the young player on loan from Barcelona received another outing. Against the Irish team, Valle looked like a class act, confident with the ball and quick to attack. In the coming weeks, he’ll face tougher defensive tests, but he has a great chance to establish himself as the starting left defender because Greg Taylor is probably going to miss the Aberdeen match following the break. Valle now offers strong competition, but Taylor will be greatly missed as he has been excellent in recent seasons.
For both Sligo Rovers and Celtic, this was more than just a kickaround. It was an opportunity to rebuild a connection between the clubs and the community that dates back to the club’s founding.
Both club icon Sean Fallon and founder Brother Walfrid, whose father assisted in securing the site for the renowned Showgrounds nearly a century ago, were from this area. When Rodgers spoke to the audience prior to kickoff, he was met with an enormous cheer. It would be an understatement to say that Celtic had a warm reception; 5,000 spectators filled the arena, about twice as many as they would have expected for a League of Ireland match.
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