SENSATIONAL CELTIC SUBDUE BRAVE BENFICA WITH LAST MINUTE MAGIC
Celtic secured a sensational last-ditch victory, by three goals to two, against a Benfica side who had dominated from start to finish, to climb above their Portuguese rivals in the Al Kass International Cup 2016 rankings.
Hundreds of people had flocked to Aspire Zone to participate in National Sport Day, and those who attended the opening game of Day 5 were treated to a marvellous footballing spectacle.
Both sides had failed to make it to the knockout stage, having each been drawn in particularly challenging groups. This game would therefore decide who would finish ninth and tenth in the rankings.
With little but pride at stake, coach Michael O’Halloran therefore made several changes to Celtic’s starting line-up in order to give as many squad members as possible a taste of the unique Al Kass atmosphere. Keeper Aidan McAdams retained his place and was made captain for the day – a proud experience for any youngster.
Five minutes in, Benfica had a chance to open the scoring, when full back Vasco Oliviera delivered an accurate cross from the left and Pedro Correia climbed highest to thump a header just wide of the far post.
The Portuguese were making most of the early running, and skipper Tiago Dantas went close on 12 minutes after picking up the ball 25 yards out, in the inside right channel, and drilling a low shot that fizzed wide of the left-hand post.
Approaching the 20-minute mark, McAdams just managed to keep the ball from creeping over the line after Oliviera connected with a corner from the right, which the Celtic keeper only just held on to.
The young Scots were struggling to find cohesion in their build-up play, perhaps owing to the number of personnel changes that had been made since the previous game, and they were made to pay for their hesitant approach on 23 minutes, when Benfica broke the deadlock in tremendous style.
Edi Semedo set off on a marauding run from his own half, sprinting clear to go one-on-one with McAdams, before a heavy touch from the Portuguese striker allowed the keeper to save. However, the Scots did not clear their lines, and the ball fell to Dantas wide on the left. He swung in a cross, which Ricardo Campos met on the edge of the area with a powerful first-time volley that flew into the net. The strike was undoubtedly a contender for Goal of the Tournament, and no less than The Glorioso deserved for a dominant display.
Indeed, Benfica should have been two up on the half hour when Da Fonseca was first to a bouncing ball in the area, but he shanked his half volley wide from eight yards, with only the keeper to beat.
The game was completely one-sided at this stage, and Benfica should have been out of sight by half time. Instead, on 43 minutes, Celtic snatched an equaliser with their first attempt on goal. Kerr McInroy crossed from the left to Max Potter, who took a touch before lashing the ball high into the net from close range, handing the Bhoys a lifeline that their tepid display thus far had scarcely merited.
The second period began in a similar fashion to the first, with Benfica creating by far the better chances. On 50 minutes, Semedo cut in from left, but he dragged his shot wide. Then, approaching the hour mark, Vasco Oliviera stepped out of defence and hammered a fine strike from outside the area that only just missed, to the relief of McAdams in goal.
The introduction from the bench of Michael Johnston to the Celtic attack had at least injected some much-needed urgency into the Glasgow side’s play, and on 65 minutes the striker ran on to a ball over the top and embarked on a fine run from the right, but his low shot lacked accuracy and drifted wide of the left-hand post.
Four minutes later, Benfica deservedly regained the lead after Dantas retrieved a loose ball on the right of the area, chipping back in for Ricardo Campos to power his header past a helpless McAdams.
Despite their generally unconvincing performance, Celtic continued to show the fight that had characterised their earlier matches, and this battling approach again brought reward on 78 minutes, when Keiran Campbell picked up the ball on the right corner of the area and fed Christian Antoniazzi, whose first touch took him away from his marker before shooting low into the right-hand corner for an equaliser that had seemed most unlikely on the balance of play.
With 10 minutes remaining, the game belatedly developed into a marvellously entertaining end-to-end contest, as both sides pushed forward in search of the winning goal. But it was Benfica who continued to carve out the better chances.
On 83 minutes Correia beat his man on the right and fired an unstoppable rising shot from the corner of the area that smacked against the angle of post and crossbar before bouncing clear. Two minutes later Campos repeated the feat, slamming the ball into the right-hand post.
Despite being under the cosh for almost the entire game, Celtic rode their luck all the way to the 90th minute when, unbelievably, they stole the lead, and the game, in dramatic fashion.
Full back Stephen Welsh’s crossed from the left, and the ball fell to Kenneth Mearns 12 yards out, who volleyed home first time to secure a victory that was as unexpected as it was fortunate. Benfica were left to rue a host of chances that they had failed to put away, despite showing enough class to suggest that they could have gone further in the Al Kass tournament.
