Francesco Camarda struck twice to rescue a 2-2 draw for AC Milan as they fought back from two goals down against Celtic in a pre-season friendly at Celtic Park.
The teenage forward converted a penalty shortly after the interval and added a second header seven minutes later to cancel out first-half strikes from Camilo Duran and James Forrest. The result offers Ruben Amorim encouragement from his squad depth, though concern surrounds new defender Mario Gila, who limped off just 23 minutes into his debut.
Rossoneri rally from sluggish start
Milan entered the fixture at contrasting stages of preparation to their hosts. While Celtic concluded their summer schedule ahead of next weekend’s Scottish Premiership opener against Dundee, this marked Milan’s first stadium outing of pre-season with nearly a month remaining until Serie A commences.
The disparity showed early as Celtic seized a two-goal advantage before the half-hour. Duran opened the scoring in the 11th minute, before supplying Forrest for the second in the 28th minute against a Milan defence featuring Fikayo Tomori, Matteo Gabbia and Strahinja Pavlovic.
Amorim altered his approach at the break, introducing eight substitutes including Gila, Samuel Chukwueze and Youssouf Fofana. Only goalkeeper Lorenzo Torriani, wing-back Davide Bartesaghi and midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek continued beyond the interval.
Youth shines amid absentees
Milan’s selection reflected the continued absence of senior internationals following the 2026 World Cup. Mike Maignan, Adrien Rabiot, Luka Modric, Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic remained unavailable, prompting Amorim to deploy a 3-4-2-1 formation incorporating teenagers Christian Comotto, Lorenzo Ossola and Andrej Kostic from the outset.
Camarda’s introduction transformed the contest. The 19-year-old halved the deficit from the penalty spot two minutes after the restart, then nodded home Chukwueze’s delivery to level proceedings by the 52nd minute.
Gila’s withdrawal through injury tempered the recovery, however, cutting short the defender’s first appearance after just 23 minutes on the pitch.
Divergent paths ahead
The fixture served as Celtic’s final rehearsal before competitive action resumes. The hosts fielded a strong eleven including Kieran Tierney, Callum McGregor and Forrest, reflecting their advanced readiness compared to visitors still assembling their senior contingent.
For Milan, the draw opens a lengthy pre-season schedule that will test Amorim’s tactical flexibility while World Cup participants gradually filter back into the group.