KIERAN TIERNEY made his Celtic comeback after his six years’ absence at Arsenal in the closed doors game against Estrela da Amadora at Benfica’s training campus today.
Unfortunately, the left-back didn’t mark the occasion with a win as the Hoops lost 3-2 in a game in Libson designed to help the players get the close-season rust out of their limbs.
New Bhoy Benjamin Nygren also made his debut as as a half-time substitute against the Portuguese side.
Despite the defeat, Brendan Rodgers was positive afterwards as he said: “It was a really good exercise for us.
“We’re only a couple of weeks in and there were some good moments, some not so good, young players getting opportunities, some players playing their first minutes of pre-season.
“We’ll get sharper. The guys have had a heavy week, so they were maybe a wee bit leggy today.
CELTIC VIEW…Brendan Rodgers reflects on the match. Image courtesy Celtic TV.
“But it’s that point in the season where you have to push and get through that, that’s all about building your fitness.”
The Hoops boss, speaking to Celtic TV, added: “The guys will always look to play our game model, to press and to play, and we did that.
“We had some really good moments, the goals were excellent. And then we got caught out, especially in the third goal, just pressing at the wrong moment.
“But all that comes with the evolution and understanding of how we play.”
The champions took the lead in the seventh minute after Luke McCowan and Marco Tilio combined before the Australian winger picked out Reo Hatate with a low pass and the Japanese midfielder whipped the ball into the net from 12 yards.
Eight minutes from the interval Alan Godoy equalised with a penalty-kick after Colby Donovan was adjudged to have handled the ball.
With just seconds of the first-half to play, the Hoops conceded again when Brazilian Otavio headed past the stranded Viljami Sinisalo.
Rodgers made a raft of changes at the break with with only skipper Callum McGregor remaining on the pitch from the first half team.
The second half saw Ross Doohan, Anthony Ralston, Dane Murray, Liam Scales, Hayato Inamura, Arne Engels, James Forrest, Yang Hyun-jun and Adam Idah as well as Nygren introduced to the action.
Idah levelled in the 53rd minute after a smart cross from Nygren and seven minutes later Sean McArdle replaced McGregor with Forrest taking the captain’s armband.
The Portuguese outfit claimed the winner in the 65th minute through Jovane Cabral after a quick break caught Celtic cold.
Next up, the Hoops face Sporting Lisbon at the Estádio do Algarve on Wednesday with a 7.30pm kick-off.
TEAM: Sinisalo; Donovan, McPherson, Trusty, Tierney; McCowan, McGregor, Hatate; Tilio, Maeda, Osmand. Subs: Doohan, Clarke, Rice, Scales, Nygren, Idah, Yang, Kenny, Inamura, Engels, Summers, Montgomery, Ure, Murray, Forrest, McArdle, Ralston, Isiguzo.
