Ranieri Pleased With Intensity Of ICC Opener

- Riyad Mahrez scored in a 1-1 draw before a 6-5 shootout win 

- Claudio Ranieri pleased with his side against a Celtic team already in competitive action 

- Penalty win gives City two points ahead of second match against PSG in LA 

Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri was pleased with how his side shaped up against Scottish champions Celtic, after the Foxes made a winning start to their International Champions Cup campaign. 

In their first outing of the pre-season tournament at Celtic Park, City played out a 1-1 draw with the Bhoys, before going on to secure a bonus point with a 6-5 win on penalties. 

Riyad Mahrez gave the Premier League champions a second-half lead with a superb strike that was cancelled out by Eoghan O’Connell’s fine finish, sending a competitive encounter straight to a shootout. 

Both sides were flawless from the spot until Kasper Schmeichel kept out Celtic’s sixth kick, taken by James Forrest, allowing Daniel Amartey to win it for Leicester. 

Ranieri was impressed with his side’s display in only their second pre-season outing, against a Celtic side that have already commenced competitive action due to their involvement in Champions League qualifiers. 

“It was important to compare ourselves at this stage of pre-season to a very good team,” Ranieri said after the game. “Celtic have already played a number of matches in the Champions League and in friendlies, while our players have only played 45 minutes at Oxford on Tuesday night. 

“I’m very pleased because we returned with our spirit, showed good intensity and good tempo in a very good match. I’m very happy with our performance. 

“Today was a friendly match but, between two champions, there are no friendly matches.” City’s Italian boss handed a first appearance to Papy Mendy at Celtic Park and the summer signing from Nice showed plenty of promise alongside Danny Drinkwater in an area of the pitch where the champions’ personnel looks very strong. 

“I thought all the players played well,” he said. “For Mendy, it was his first match with us and it’s not easy, but he recovered the ball and passed the ball well.

“We have more solutions in midfield now. We have good players with the same mentality and slowly they are getting better.” 

With two points on the board from their opening fixture in the tournament, Ranieri’s men head to Los Angeles on Sunday ahead of a meeting with Paris Saint-Germain next Saturday. 

The Italian, whose team also face Barcelona in the competition, is happy that his players will continue to experience playing against such high-class opposition, but will not give too much consideration to the results. 

“The experience of playing in these fantastic matches is important for our players, but our main focus is on preparing the team for the 7 August to play Manchester United (in the Community Shield). 

“We want to increase our fitness, improve our combinations and not make mistakes defensively.”