Benfica 1 Celtic 0:Celtic's dismal away record in the Champions League was extended last night as they lost to a late Oscar Cardozo goal against Benfica in Lisbon.

The Scottish champions matched the home side in the first half, but after the break the Paraguayan international striker twice hit the woodwork and was denied by a world-class save from Artur Boruc.

And, in the 86th minute, Cardozo beat the offside trap to knock the ball past Boruc, leaving the Glasgow side 14 group games without a win away from Parkhead in the group stages.

The visitors can have little complaints after a second half which saw them enjoy some good fortune in the Stadium of Light before they eventually succumbed late on.

Gordon Strachan's reshuffled side took many pundits and fans by surprise, particularly the omission of on-form Scott McDonald and the talismanic Shunsuke Nakamura.

The early moments, inside a barely half-full stadium, did little to indicate the Celtic boss had pulled a masterstroke, although, by the end of the first half, despite a couple of nervy moments, there was a real sense of belief among the visitors.

The Portuguese side looked a shadow of the team that beat Celtic 3-0 in the same venue a year previously while Celtic remained strangely tentative.

However, midway through the first half, Aiden McGeady's short back-header to Gary Caldwell, intercepted in the penalty area by Leo, almost led to a Benfica opener. The Brazilian defender whipped the ball back from the byline, but the onrushing Cardozo missed his kick altogether, allowing the ball to fly away from the danger zone.

Celtic, however, slowly grew in confidence - with Massimo Donati going close in the 33rd minute and Scott Brown driving just wide five minutes before the break.

But two minutes later, after Killen had bravely blocked a goalbound effort from Cardozo, Boruc brilliantly tipped a Konstantinos Katsouranis header from 12 yards over the bar as Benfica finished the first period with a flourish.

Referee Massimo Busacca, whose kit had clashed with Celtic's dark green away strip in the first half, changed to a luminous yellow top at the interval.

Benfica started the second period brightly and in the 50th minute Boruc had to pull off a great save from a point-blank Cardozo header.

The Lisbon side went down both flanks looking to prise open the Hoops' defence, but the Parkhead men held firm and found time to set up the occasional counter-attack.

In the 56th minute Killen latched on to a McGeady cutback at the near post, but his effort hit the side-netting. And, moments later, Quim had to throw himself to his left to push McGeady's drive from 16 yards past the near post.

Just past the hour Benfica replaced Nuno Assis and Gonzales Bergessio with Freddy Adu and Angel Di Maria and soon after Cardozo hit the bar from close range after Boruc had parried a long distance drive from Rodriguez. Minutes later, as Celtic struggled to keep their shape, Cardozo had another effort which rebounded off the post.

The tireless Cardozo was not to be denied and in the 86th minute he beat the offside trap to bring down a Di Maria chip and knock the ball past Boruc.

Agony for Celtic, but, in truth, it was no more than Benfica deserved.

BENFICA: Quim, Pereira, Luisao, Katsouranis, Leo, Nuno Assis (Di Maria 61), Binya, Rui Costa, Rodriguez (Luis Felipe 84), Bergessio (Adu 61), Cardozo. Subs not used: Butt, Edcarlos, Zoro, Ribeiro. Booked: Di Maria.

CELTIC: Boruc, Caldwell, Kennedy, McManus, Naylor, Hartley, Jarosik, Scott Brown, Donati (Sno 63), McGeady, Killen (McDonald 74). Subs not used: Mark Brown, Balde, Nakamura, O'Brien, O'Dea. Booked: McGeady, Killen, Hartley.

Referee: M Busacca (Switzerland).