FC Porto 0 Celtic 1

WELCOME to www.celticfc.net for tonight’s pre-season friendly between Celtic and FC Porto in the stunning Estadio do Dragao.
It marks the fifth match in eight days for Celtic, who will return home to Glasgow immediately after the game, in order to prepare for next week’s Rotterdam Tournament.
Celtic manager Gordon Strachan welcomes back Aiden McGeady and Mark Wilson to the squad after they missed Thursday’s match against Cardiff City in the Algarve.
Artur Boruc also makes his first start of pre-season, while Gary Caldwell and Stephen McManus return in central defence. The Hoops are expected to line up in a 4-5-1 formation, with Georgios Samaras heading the attack.

TONIGHT’S TEAMS:

FC PORTO: Helton; Bruno Alves, Pedro Emanuel, Guarin, Lucho, Lisandro, Rodriguez, Mariano, Lino, Raul Meireles, Sapunaru
Subs: Ventura, Nuno, Benitez, Fucile, Rolando, Bolatti, Farias, Tomas Costa

CELTIC: Boruc; Hinkel, Caldwell, McManus, Wilson; Robson, Hartley, Donati, Brown, McGeady; Samaras
Subs: Brown, Balde, McDonald, Vennegoor of Hesselink, Caddis, McGowan

The kick off, due to be at 9pm, has been delayed for at least 10 minutes.

Celtic kick off. Celtic are wearing green and white Hoops, Porto are in blue and white stripes

Celtic look to have settled well, with Hartley anchoring the midfield

McGeady links with Donati on the left wing. The Italian whips over a cross, but Bruno Alves heads clear

McManus plays a great ball out of defence to Samaras, who links with Brown. Robson is then upended on the edge of the box. The midfielder takes the free kick from a wide area, but the shot is blocked

Scott Brown, playing off Samaras, is impressing in the early stages, but is caught late by Lucho in midfield. He is fine after treatment

Porto threaten through Guarin on the right. Boruc gathers with the minimum of fuss

Porto try their luck on the left flank this time. Robson and Hinkel deal with the danger

Porto right-back Sapurnau crashes a shot well wide of target

McManus picks out Brown on the right flank. The midfielder whips in an inviting cross. Porto head away

Wilson concedes a foul on the right wing in a dangerous area. Lino delivers and Sapurnau's header skims the bar

Celtic race to the other end. Robson cuts in from the right and Porto are again forced to clear under pressure

Porto apply some pressure and Caldwell and Hinkel are forced to clear under pressure. Hartley eventually clams the situation

Fantastic save from Boruc. Lisandro Lopez wins the break of the ball of McManus and races through on goal. The Celtic No.1 makes himself big and produces a world-class save

Porto win a free-kick on the right win. Lino again delivers. Boruc makes the save

Porto are enjoying some pressure. This time, Raul Meireles has a shot charged down by Hartley

Porto's Lucho rolls around for what seems like an age. He then gets up and runs off the pitch. Unbelievable.

McGeady picks up possession in midfield and leaves three Porto players for dead. He is eventually robbed of the ball 30 yards out

Celtic are forced to defend on the 18-yard box for a sustained period. McGeady does well to ease the pressure

Brown breaks up a Porto and attack and surges forward. The ball is moved to McGeady via Samaras and on to Donati on the left wing. He looks for Robson at the back post, but an offside flag stops the attack

McGeady again shines for Celtic. He turns past Meireles and sprints into space, before firing a shot wide of target

Lisandro Lopez shows sublime skill to skip past Brown and whip a cross to the back post. Wilson sees the ball out for a throw in

Donati fouls Lopez on Porto's right. Lino's dangerous free-kick is headed clear by Wilson at the front post.

McGeady is unlucky with Celtic's best effort of the night. Boruc's kick out is nodded on by Samaras and the winger's 25-yard shot is deflect narrowly wide

Donati loses possession in midfield and Porto break. The ball is worked to Cristian Rodriguez on the right side of the box and he finds the side netting. A let off for Celtic

Brown wins a free kick 35 yards out on the left wing. Hartley takes an inswinger and Robson eventually wins another free-kick on the right flank

McManus almost gives Celtic the lead. Robson whips a free-kick into the danger area and the Hoops captain glance a header inches wide of target.

First-class defending from Celtic. McManus throws himself in the way of Lucho's shot, and Robson blocks Meireles' follow-up

Porto win a free-kick close to the corner flag. Lino again takes the award and Donati clears at the front post. Caldwell then clears another shot from Meireles.

HALF-TIME: FC Porto 0 Celtic 0 - Entertaining game with Celtic's best chance coming from the head of Stephen McManus. The Hoops have looked bright, while Porto are always dangerous. Rodriguez, clean through on Boruc, spurned their best chance, although the Pole's save was stunning

FC Porto kick off the second half. Celtic have made no changes.

Porto have an early penalty claim after Hartley tackles Lopez. The ref waves away the claims

Porto have the bulk of the ball in the early stages, but Celtic look comfortable

McGeady skins Porto's Fucile and looks for Samaras. The cross is cleared and Donati's shot is blocked. McGeady looks in the mood

Another stunning stop from Boruc. Once again, Rodriguez finds himself one on one with the goalkeeper after a perfect pass from Lucho. Boruc blocks from eight yards

Donati is harshly penalised for a foul on Mariano 25 yards out. Bruno Alves fires the free-kick over the bar

Donati again concedes a foul, this time on Farias. Benitez takes it and Boruc gathers

Lucho almost connects with a cross at the back post as Porto up the tempo

Triple sub for Celtic. Caddis, Vennegoor of Hesselink and McDonald replace Samaras, McGeady and Robson

Celtic work the ball to the right wing and Hartley plays the ball inside to McDonald at the edge of the box. The Aussie attempts to play the return, but Porto mop up

Celtic sub - Balde on for Donati

Caldwell's quick free-kick releases McDonald inside the box. From a wide area, he looks for Vennegoor of Hesselink but the cross is too high for the Dutchman

Brown is caught late by Fucile, but the ref takes no action

Caldwell, Brown and McDonald all combine to almost create an opening for the Aussie at the edge of the box.

Stephen McManus makes a superb saving tackle to deny Rodriguez. The captain is having a superb game

An edge is developing in the game, with the Celtic players getting stuck in.

Celtic break on the right and Caddis almost gets to the ball before the onrushing Porto goalkeeper Nuno

The outstanding Brown is replaced by Darren O'Dea. He claps all four stands with boos ringing in his ears!

There are three minutes of injury time

Porto work the ball to a dangerous area, but Celtic defend stoutly

FULL-TIME: FC PORTO 0 CELTIC 1 - Vennegoor of Hesselink's second half header seals a great win for Celtic, with the Hoops producing a discplined, accomplished display against the Portuguese champions.