It was Celtic versus Celtic in the early hours of Monday morning as Benjamin Nygren and Sebastian Tounekti got their World Cup campaigns underway.
The pair found themselves on opposite sides as Sweden faced Tunisia in Group F, the same group that includes Daizen Maeda’s Japan side.
And it was Nygren who came away smiling.
Sweden produced one of the most convincing performances of the opening round of fixtures, brushing Tunisia aside in a comprehensive 5-1 victory.
The Celtic midfielder started the match and played 64 minutes before being withdrawn with Sweden comfortably in control at 3-1.
Operating just behind the formidable strike partnership of Viktor Gyökeres and Alexander Isak, Nygren was part of an attacking unit that caused Tunisia problems throughout the contest.
By the time he left the pitch, the result looked beyond doubt.
Tounekti was introduced ten minutes later as Tunisia searched for a route back into the game.
The winger was tasked with helping spark a comeback, but it never arrived.
Instead, Sweden finished strongly, adding further goals in the 84th and 96th minutes to complete an emphatic win and move to the top end of the group standings.
Nygren, in particular, will be hoping a strong World Cup can further enhance his growing reputation after a remarkable campaign that saw him score 21 goals for Celtic.
Tounekti, meanwhile, faces a more difficult task after Tunisia’s heavy opening defeat.
Next Sunday’s fixtures will see Daizen Maeda’s Japan take on Tunisia in the second round of group-stage matches.
That means Maeda and Tounekti could be directly competing for crucial points as the race for the knockout stages begins to take shape.
Japan opened their campaign with a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands, while Sweden’s victory has immediately put pressure on the rest of the group.
With three Celtic players involved, Group C is quickly becoming one of the more interesting sections to follow from a Parkhead perspective.
