Strachan refuses to accept the dream is over

Gordon Strachan refused to sound the death knell for Celtic's Champions League aspirations - despite another sickening defeat on the road leaving his team rock bottom of Group D.

A goal from predatory Benfica striker Oscar Cardozo four minutes from time condemned the Parkhead side to a 14th successive away defeat in the competition.

A defiant Strachan blamed the defeat on tiredness, saying: "We are definitely not out of it, that's for sure. A point would have been excellent and that's why it's so disappointing. But we got through with nine points last year and might do the same this year. You never know.

"We can be proud of our heart, effort, application and determination. It was just tiredness that beat us in the end."

Strachan also attributed his side's late collapse to a lack of experience at Champions League level, insisting: "My team has a lot of heart but the technical level we played against was fantastic. The biggest problem for us was giving the ball away. We need to work on that.

"I just feel we are missing a wee bit of experience at times in our side. Until we get that experience, we just have to suck it and see and hang in there. I don't enjoy the experience in the Champions League of getting beaten - what I do enjoy is playing against the best players in the world."

The prime talking points prematch were the surprising omission of double Player of the Year Shunsuke Nakamura and top scorer McDonald in favour of Paul Hartley and Chris Killen, although the Australian replaced the Kiwi later in the game.

"We have only two fit strikers at the club at the moment," Strachan tried to explain. "You have to see the form of the strikers. Scott McDonald is in terrific form and has played all the games. We just had to look at this game, that's all."

Of Nakamura, Strachan said: "We had a few injuries and I don't want to run the squad into the ground. My priority is to win the SPL. I'm the manager and I have to make decisions sometimes."

Celtic did win one minor battle on the night - Swiss referee Massimo Busacca changing his shirt to avoid a clash with the all-green Parkhead away kit at the interval on the instructions of the UEFA delegate.

Benfica coach Jose Antonio Camacho coach believes his side can now do the double over Celtic in Glasgow. "If we scored, I always felt it would be hard for us to lose and that's how it proved. The most important thing was three points and we will now work towards the same in Glasgow."