Fans witnessed a great day of football and entertainment on the first day of the inaugural Dublin Super Cup with Inter Milan, Celtic, Manchester City and an Airtricity League XI all in action at the Aviva Stadium. Supporters got to see the elite of European football with a fantastic atmosphere created by thousands of local and travelling Celtic fans.

Shaun Wright-Phillips and Adam Johnson were the stand out performers in the day’s first game between the Airtricity League XI and Manchester City. Both players produced fine second-half finishes before substitute Luca Scapuzzi added a third late on to round off a 3-0 victory against an industrious Airtricity League XI.

Gareth Barry was the architect for the game’s first and finest goal, with his fine long range pass being met by Wright-Phillips. Having let the ball drop over his shoulder Wright-Phillips let fly with a well struck volley to set the tone for victory.

Highly-rated Derry City winger, James McClean, showed moments of promise for the Airtricity League XI although it was Joe Gamble who had the team’s best chance when he failed to convert from six yards having had the ball cut back to him from out wide.

There was drama in the day’s second game where Inter Milan beat a well-supported Celtic side 2-0. Inter’s eighteen-year-old Dutch striker, Luc Castaignos, opened the scoring with a deft first time finish before Thiago Motta was dismissed for two bookable offences. Just as Celtic were thinking they could get back into the game, Giampaolo Pazzini raced on to the end of a long ball before nudging it over the stranded Lukasz Zaluska in goal to double their lead.

Celtic applied pressure in the second half but the introduction of Wesley Sneijder and Samuel Eto’o meant that Inter still held the ball well in possession, frustrating Neil Lennon’s men who squandered a number of half chances throughout the game. The defeat means Celtic finish the day in third position, with Manchester City sitting at the top of the table.

Fans attending the second day of the tournament will be relishing the prospect of Sergio Agüero making his Manchester City debut against Inter Milan. On being asked whether Manchester City’s latest recruit might play in the tournament’s second day, manager Roberto Mancini commented, “Now we are going to do a light training session this evening and we will decide tomorrow morning. I think he will play some part, yes.”

Endemol Sport Managing Director Gregg Oldfield said: “After all the planning, it’s fantastic to finally get the tournament underway. The fans were treated to a real spectacle today with some great football and live entertainment on show, which added some real colour to the day. It was great to see the tournament kick-off with such a fantastic atmosphere and we are equally pleased that fans in over 160 countries were able to watch it live.”