Manager: Today is another step towards where we want to get to | OneFootball

Celtic faced Estrela da Amadora at Benfica’s training campus today (July 12) and, despite an intense and hard-working performance from the Bhoys, they suffered their first defeat of pre-season, losing 3-2 to the Portuguese side.

The match marked the first appearance in a Celtic jersey for Kieran Tierney since his return to the club this summer, whilst Benjamin Nygren also got his first minutes as a Celtic player, playing the full 45 minutes of the second half.

In spite of the disappointing result, however, Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers reflected on the match as another positive pre-season step when he spoke to Celtic TV at full time.

“It was a really good exercise for us,” Brendan said. “ 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.

“But it’s that point in the season where you have to push and get through that, that’s all about building your fitness.

“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.”

Brendan’s full post-match interview is available to watch below.

Fixtures

Estrela da Amadora Vs. Celtic - Sat, Jul 12th 2025, 11:00