CELTIC 1 SPORTING LISBON 4
CAMILO DURAN scored a debut goal, but there was little celebrating from Celtic as they collapsed to a 4-1 defeat in the friendly against Sporting Lisbon at the Estadio Algarve this evening.
The £5.5million new Bhoy, a 64th-minute substitute, snapped up an opportunist’s strike when he profited from hesitancy in the Portuguese side’s defence to stroke in the equaliser.
It was a rare moment of joy for Martin O’Neill’s men who toiled against slick opposition who netted three goals in a whirlwind seven-minute second-half spell.
The Hoops could point to the fact they were missing eight influential players due to World Cup duty, but tonight’s rivals could make the same point with a raft of stars on duty with Portugal.
A night of misery started in the 24th minute when Geny Catamo put Sporting ahead.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Arne Engels were introduced for Paulo Bernardo and Michel-Ange Balikwisha at the interval.
In the 64th minute, there were a further seven changes with Ross Doohan, Adam Montgomery, Maik Nawrocki, Liam Kennedy, Thomas Hatton, Sean McArdle and Duran making appearances. Only Dane Murray and Colby Donovan remained from the side that started.
A minute after coming on, Duran intercepted a pass from Eduardo Quaresma and whipped the ball home from close range.
Seven minutes later, Sporting scored a second through Saniel Braganca and only moments later Ricardo Mangas made it 3-1.
Braganca then got the fourth with the Hoops in disarray.
With just over five minutes remaining, Francis Turley came on in place of Donovan.
O’Neill will now have to pick up his players for the match against Middlesbrough at Parkhead on Saturday.
TEAM: Sinisalo (sub: Doohan 64); Donovan (sub: Turley 85), Carter-Vickers (sub: Nawrocki 64), Murray, Scales (sub: Montgomery 64): McGregor (sub: Hatton 64), Bernardo (sub: Oxlade-Chamberlain 46), McCowan (sub: McArdle 64), Forrest (sub: Kennedy 64), Osmand (sub: Duran 64), Balikwisha (sub: Engels 46).
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