Benfica beat Celtic 2-1 tonight in the u-21 Premier League International Cup at Wycombe.
The tournament is designed to give players from the Premier League international experience with Celtic reaching the last eight last season after topping their group ahead of Villarreal, Sunderland and Everton.
In the opening match in Group A Chelsea beat Liverpool 4-2 at Aldershot with Celtic next in action against Liverpool at St Helens on October 28.
Anthony Stokes (used as an overage player) and Aidan Nesbitt joined up with what was essentially an u-19 squad as Celtic squared upto the Portuguese international side who are acknowledged as one of the benchmarks in youth Development.
After drawing 1-1 with Hamilton Accies on Monday night in the Development League Tommy McIntyre made three changes to his side with Leo Fasan, Aidan Nesbitt and Anthony Stokes coming in for Colin McCabe, Calum Waters and Sam Wardrop.
Those changes saw Jack Breslin and Aidan McIlduff move to full-back allowing Stokes on the left and Nesbitt on the right to support Calvin Miller through the centre.
There was little between the teams in the first half but seven minutes from the interval Benfica took the lead with a quick break that finished with a shot from Diogo Concalves finding the net.
Eleven minutes into the second half Benfica doubled their lead when Oliver Sarkic scored from close range.
Celtic pushed till the end to get a goal but after McIlduff scored in the 90th minute there wasn’t enough stoppage time to find an equaliser.
Next week Celtic’s u-19 side travel to Finland to meet HJK Helsinki in the first qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League with the return leg at Livingston on Tuesday 20th October.
CELTIC: Leo Fasan; Jack Breslin, Fiacre Kelleher, Jamie McCart, Aidan McIlduff; Joe Thomson, Mark Hill (Sam Wwardrop 73); Regan Hendry, Aidan Nesbitt (Dan Higgins 81), Anthony Stokes; Calvin Miller (Innes Murray 73)
SUBS: Colin McCabe, Brandon Payne, Michael Johnston
