Everton clinched the Sydney Super Cup in a game that was more entertaining than the goalless scoreline suggested.
The makeshift side faced familiar issues up top but still created more than the statistic of no shots on target indicates, though it was also reliant on Asmir Begovic's brilliance at the other end. Frank Lampard later said he was pleased with "elements" of the Blues' display - though he added the circumstances of the game, with some players still feeling jetlag and injuries and international duty forcing him to play some key men out of position, meant there was only a limited amount he could learn from it.
One positive he could take was the performances of the Under-21s he gave an opportunity to. Their displays are among some of these moments that may have been missed from Everton's win in the headline match of the competition Down Under.
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Blues get shock as sides walk onto pitch
While Celtic were essentially listed as the home team, no-one quite expected the introduction the teams received as they walked out of the tunnel at the Accor Stadium. The Blues may not have anticipated entering the pitch to Z-Cars but probably didn't expect to be serenaded by Celtic and Liverpool anthem You'll Never Walk Alone. There were confetti cannons, flames leaping from behind each goal - and boos from some of the Blues in the 41,000 crowd. It turned out there would be an attempt at balance and Z-Cars was played as the players entered the pitch for the second half. But unexpected, and without the fanfare of flames and confetti, it wasn't quite the same!
Everton find some fortune as ref ignores 'world's biggest' stadium screen
One unmissable element of the impressive Accor Stadium was the Great Southern Screen. Stretching the entire width of the south stand at a length of 120m and height of 10m, the screen is the longest hi-definition stadium screen in the world and was installed this year as part of a digital upgrade costing more than 10m Australian dollars. It meant those in the stands could benefit from crystal clear replays of the match action - though luckily for Everton it appeared the referee decided to ignore its presence. A tough tackle by Isaac Price on Matt O'Riley went unpunished apart from a free-kick, but the collective 'Ooohs' around the ground as it was played on the big screen suggested he could have received at least a yellow card for the first half tackle.
Isaac Price's touches of class
Price was excellent in his display, despite the pressure on him. The 19-year-old was always going to get minutes due his impressive performances in training and recent displays in the Under-21s. But he probably did not expect to end up playing 45 minutes as the senior centre midfielder. With Tom Davies flying home for a scan on his knee and Abdoulaye Doucoure leaving the pitch with his own knee injury at half time, Price found himself the only fit and recognised central midfielder in the squad that has travelled to Australia. While he was part of a side that struggled to exert any control over the game, Price worked hard and showed composure throughout, protecting possession. His was an impressive performance in difficult circumstances and one that left Lampard delighted.
No shots on target statistic doesn't tell full story
Everton's creative issues have been well documented but the all-too-familiar statistic of zero shots on target did not tell the full story of this game. Yes, Celtic were the better side and they did dominate possession. But Everton created a host of good chances, particularly in the first half. The best fell to Neal Maupay, played through on Joe Hart's goal in one of the few moments of genuine class in the match. He was picked out by a through ball from deep in Everton's half that curled beyond the last man and left Maupay with just the onrushing Hart to beat. He was able to latch onto Vitalii Mykolenko's superb ball but his lob dropped wide of the goal.
Maupay later rounded Hart but was unable to keep the ball in play and Demarai Gray had several good opportunities - shots deflected narrowly wide but only after an extra touch allowed defenders to make up the half yard he had gained on them. James Tarkowski and Michael Keane also had chances from corners but mistimed their headers. While this was by no means a game in which it appeared Everton were on the brink of solving their attacking issues, it was a fixture in which it was a lack of ruthlessness rather than creativity that proved frustrating - though by the second half, with wingers Anthony Gordon and Dwight McNeil having to sit either side of Price in a makeshift central midfield, Everton's ability to attack was always going to be limited.
Youngsters step into the spotlight - by their own choice
When it came to the penalty shootout Everton never felt like losing. They led from the start and when Stanley Mills missed his, it was a chance to win the match that was spurned - not the initiative in the shootout. The penalties were impressive and all the more so as there was no list of takers organised in advance. The players volunteered for the duty and handled the pressure with the ultimate composure. Michael Keane went first and few would have been surprised to see him score given the finishing prowess he displays in training. After Keane the next takers were Tom Cannon, Nathan Patterson, Mills and Gordon - aged 19, 21, 19 and 21 respectively. This was a low-pressure exercise but Lampard said after the match one of his main takeaways was the courage shown by his younger players to take responsibility - with another 19-year-old, Isaac Price, also in the conversation for man of the match.
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