Celtic ended their tour of Japan with a comfortable but narrow victory against J1 league side Gamba Osaka.

A late goal from Alexandro Bernabei after dogged pressing by the Argentine helped the Hoops get the win in the second televised friendly of the season.

Our writers pick out five talking points from the match as the club's preparations continued ahead of the upcoming season.

It's Ange's full-back system - but not as we know it

The inverted full-back set-up was very fluent under previous manager Ange Postecoglou and both Greg Taylor and Alistair Johnston seemed to thrive playing that way. What is noticeable under the Northern Irishman is that whilst Celtic will still adopt the use of an inverted full-back, only one of the two will tuck inside at any given time. Against Gamba Osaka, whenever Taylor marauded forward, then Tomoki Iwata did not move. That was to ensure that at all times in the match, Celtic had at least a back three and did not leave themselves exposed to a counterattack. It will be interesting to watch the development of that tactic moving forward. The premise of the inverted full-back system will remain the same but Rodgers looks to be adding his own twist and tweak to the football philosophy that served his Parkhead predecessor so well. It is up to Taylor, Johnston, Ralston and Iwata to pick up the cudgels on that front and understand early what the manager is trying to implement. That requires a sharper focus and even greater levels of concentration. All standard and de rigueur, as they say, for any Rodgers team.

The lean, mean midfield machine

Reo Hatate is a baller and he enjoyed his return back to his homeland, outstanding in both matches. The Samurai Blue midfielder is looking leaner and even sharper, if that is possible, giving a masterclass in ball retention and distribution in the two outings. He possesses wonderful core strength and he has an unerring ability to hold off opponents despite their close attention. He is clearly acting under instruction to receive the ball anywhere on the field and everything seems to flow through him. He sees passes that some players can only dream of executing on a football pitch. Some of it is exquisite, to say the least. It's fair to say late injuries last season robbed him of being a serious contender for the Player of the Year award, but he will be there or there about when the accolades are being handed out come next May. It looks like Hatate has developed into a lean, mean, green-and-white midfield machine and Rodgers will convert him into an elite-level player. He is someone who Celtic have to keep at the club at all costs.

READ MORE: Have Celtic done enough for Brendan Rodgers in the transfer market?

The resurrection of 'The Bull'?

David Turnbull may well be in the last year of his current deal but he looks desperate to impress and challenge for a place. He cut a peripheral figure at Celtic Park for two years under Postecoglou, however, a goal against Yokohama and a highly satisfactory 45-minute display against Gamba Osaka will have done wonders for his confidence levels. If anybody can reverse the fortunes of 'The Bull' then it's surely Rodgers. His shooting prowess is never in doubt and he can still dig out a mean strike at goal at will. He also showed some real vision in his passes, especially against Osaka. On this kind of showing it is certainly not too late for him to become a regular contributor under the Northern Irishman. The Scottish international also ticks the Champions League homegrown box player, which only adds to his attraction. Turnbull may well be the surprise package of the Rodgers era and go on to enjoy a new lease of life at Celtic. 

The Maeda revolution continues

He may have only played a few games under Rodgers so far but the Japan international is already one of the most talked about aspects of pre-season. Playing through the middle in the no.9 role, he followed up his hat trick against Yokohama F. Marinos with another positive contribution. As well as having a perfectly good goal unfairly ruled offside, the 25-year-old was a constant menace. He looks sharper than ever and appears almost reborn in his new role. It is worth pointing out that Maeda played through the middle for his old club, as well as currently fulfilling the same role for Japan and is clearly comfortable being at the top of the pitch. His pace on the counter-attack caused real problems and fans will be excited to see more of him in this position going forward.

READ MORE: Could Kwon Hyeok-kyu be a surprise Celtic centre-back?

Odin Thiago Holm's debut

The highly-rated Norwegian made his first appearance for the Scottish champions, coming on at half-time as part of a raft of substitutions. He had some nice touches and looked controlled on the ball but he was relatively quiet overall. A couple of his passes were overhit but given he came on as part of the double pivot, which in the first half contained Hatate and McGregor, it was always going to be difficult to stand out. He will be hoping to make more of an impact in the remaining friendly fixtures.