Estrela da Amadora 3-2 Celtic – Defensive woes as Hoops punished in transition | OneFootball

Celtic’s pre-season encounter may have sounded like a tour around a Portuguese brewery, but instead the behind closed doors run-out against Estrela da Amadora was, defensively at least, a sobering affair…

A 3-2 defeat to the team that finished 15th in Portugal’s Primeira Liga won’t exactly set off alarm bells – but it might just cause a few raised eyebrows amongst the coaching staff.

The setting – Benfica Campus, not far from the famous Estádio da Luz – carried a sense of continental calm, with no fans present. But what unfolded over 90 minutes was anything but serene, especially when Celtic didn’t have the ball.

To their credit, the Bhoys started brightly. Reo Hatate, pulling the strings in midfield once again, opened the scoring after good work from Marco Tilio – who was lively throughout his 45 minute run out – and, inadvertently, Callum Osmand.

Osmand’s air-kick bamboozled the Estrela defence more than any stepover might have, allowing Hatate to pounce at the back post with a tidy, composed finish. One-nil to the Hoops, and for a moment, it looked like business as usual.

Luke McCowan looked a standout in the opening period, busy and inventive in possession, and his ball to Daizen Maeda – threading the needle from midfield – was arguably the pass of the half. Maeda’s movement was excellent, but the finish was lacking, a stifled effort that never truly troubled the Estrela keeper.

That left-hand side, with Maeda and returning Kieran Tierney, looked a potent physical threat. Both men ran tirelessly, and in terms of defensive transition, their energy was a plus. But a word of caution – there’s a worry that duo might be a touch too similar.

Powerful, yes. Direct, definitely. But subtle? Not quite. As the half wore on, the lack of variety down that side began to show, a bit too much saw, and too little scalpel.

And it wasn’t long before Celtic’s old Achilles’ heel – the dreaded defensive transition – reared its head once more. Estrela looked dangerous on the break, and Celtic’s backline was far too open when asked to react quickly. A penalty, given away by Colby Donovan for a handball as he failed to recover from poor positioning, was the first punishment. The second followed from a cheaply conceded corner, with Ben McPherson unable to track his man, allowing a free header to make it 2-1 to the Portuguese side at the break. Dear oh dear.

Positives in the first 45?

McCowan impressed, as did Hatate and Tilio. Tierney’s long throws could also become a set-piece weapon if fully utilised. But Osmand, despite good movement off the ball, looked a touch rusty in his touches compared to the midweek outing against Cork City. Donovan, solid as a full-back, struggled in the central role, and McPherson looked off the pace both defensively and when supporting Tilio on the right.

The second half saw a raft of changes – and almost instant reward. James Forrest, Benjamin Nygren, and Adam Idah combined slickly, with the Swede playing in the striker for a neat finish to level the score at 2-2.

Forrest then rolled back the years with a lovely driving run, slipping a lovely pass into Idah’s path once more. The Irishman struck well, but this time the Estrela keeper produced a strong save to deny what would have been a well-worked third.

But just as in the first half, Celtic’s problems without the ball proved costly. Estrela, pinned deep, managed to break out far too easily. Dane Murray, caught too tight and too slow to react, failed to make the tactical foul that would’ve snuffed out the danger.

One pass, and Celtic’s entire shape was undone. The Portuguese side slotted home the winner with far too much ease, and Celtic suffered mainly because Callum McGregor had left the action by that time and McArdle, understandably perhaps, looked a bit lost and slight in the captain’s position.

Celtic bossed possession again, but with little penetration. Plenty of ball, not enough bite.

Yet there were takeaways. Nygren looks a unit – tall, technically sound, and with a bit of Matt O’Riley in his attacking timing. He also offers a left-footed set piece threat, which could dovetail nicely with Arne Engels’ right-sided delivery. Engels himself looked sharper than he did against Cork, which is encouraging. Inamura also caught the eye as an attacking threat, though his chemistry with Yang – who drifted in and out on the left – looked out of synch.

In truth, 3-2 in a pre-season friendly means little on paper. But scratch the surface and the signs are clear. Celtic, as they were too often last season, remain vulnerable when turned over. The defending of transitions still looks suspect – and if this is to be a successful campaign, that needs to be addressed quickly.

Still, pre-season is for learning – and better to be punished by Estrela now than by bigger fish in the months ahead.

The lessons are there. Now it’s about what the coaching staff do with them.

Niall J

Remember – no paywall and content that is 100% written by actual Celtic supporters – that’s what you get on The Celtic Star. And our books are also written by Celtic supporters.

Order both volumes of Celtic in the Thirties by Matt Corr and save a tenner! Link below…

Summer sale now on! £5 off all books at Celticstarbooks.com/shop

Celtic in the Thirties by Celtic Historian Matt Corr is published in two volumes by Celtic Star Books.

More Stories / Latest News

Estrela da Amadora 3-2 Celtic – Defensive woes as Hoops punished in transition

Jul 12 2025, 16:12

Kieran Tierney discusses his Hoops return on Celtic FC Podcast

Jul 12 2025, 15:24

Sinisalo on new Celtic signing Benjamin Nygren

Jul 12 2025, 15:16