Hibs hold European heavyweights in latest pre-season friendly as starting XI and goalscorer details emerge

Hibs drew 1-1 with Portuguese heavyweights FC Porto as they continue pre-season preparations. Felix Passlack netted for Hibs late in the second half after Borja Sainz scored for Francesco Farioli's side before half-time at the Jorge Costa Training and Sports Development Centre. . The game came as part of Hibs’ warm weather training camp in Portugal and followed on from recent pre-season matches with Shamrock Rovers, Cliftonville and St Johnstone. Head coach David Gray takes his side into a friendly with Danish side Brondby at Easter Road next Saturday. An Irish bootcamp had Hibs tuning up for Conference League second round qualifiers against either FK Vllaznia or FC Malisheva later this month. Matches with Shamrock Rovers and Cliftonville, alongside a behind closed doors session with fellow Premiership side St Johnstone upon their return, were good fitness building exercises but this would present a step up in level of opponent. New signings Jason Kerr, Callum Wright and Azeem Abdulai were all involved from the off, as part of a 22-man squad that jetted out to Portugal for the weekend. It was a team more akin to what could play in their competitive kick-off on July 23 as Raphael Sallinger started in goals with Passlack and Obita at wing-back. Warren O’Hora, Kerr and Jack Iredale manned the back three with Wright, Abdulai and Josh Mulligan in midfield. Owen Elding and Martin Boyle formed a front two pairing. Porto did not relent with their early pressure and Sainz was twice denied a goal by offside. Goalkeeper Sallinger was forced into a number of saves - including an eye-catching tip over the bar from Gabri Veiga. Hibs had chances of their own and Josh Mulligan’s attempt that hit the crossbar came closest to giving Gray’s side a goal before Sainz eventually beat Sallinger before the break. Pressure from Porto had been plentiful but efforts started to cool off as the game progressed and it allowed the visitors to Portugal to restore parity. Passlack met a cross from the left to give Hibs a morale-boosting result against a side who were crowned Portuguese champions last term. It’s the type of test Hibs will relish to best set them up for the European and domestic challenges that await this term with their Brondby clash finishing off pre-season next week. Hibs XI: Sallinger; Passlack, O’Hora, Kerr, Iredale (Megwa 61), Obita (C Cadden 61); Abdulai (Chaiwa 61), Mulligan (Joseph McGrath 77), Wright (MacIntyre 61); Boyle (Klidjé 46), Elding (Molotnikov 61).