Celtic’s Lisbon Collapse: Benfica Win 4-1 as O’Neill Clings to Qualification Hope

Celtic Benfica 4-1 Europa League: the scoreline from Lisbon on Thursday night told a story of first-half ruin and a second-half rally that came far too late. Martin O’Neill’s side conceded a penalty inside four minutes, trailed by three goals before the interval, and slipped to a fourth defeat in five matches. They now sit 34th in the 36-team Europa League table.

Early errors set the tone

Dane Murray’s challenge gifted Benfica a penalty with only four minutes gone, and the evening never recovered its shape. The second goal arrived after Sebastian Tounekti allowed Alexander Bah to run past him. For the third, Viljami Sinisalo was beaten too easily by Jhon Duran. By half-time, Celtic were three down and the game was effectively gone.

Benfica’s margin did not flatter them. They hit the woodwork twice in addition to their four goals, and their attacking players — Gianluca Prestianni and Jhon Duran in particular — caused persistent problems for a Celtic defence missing the injured Cameron Carter-Vickers. The lack of depth at the back was exposed repeatedly.

Duran offers a lifeline

Camilo Duran pulled one back after half-time and later struck a post. His goal and general alertness were among the few positives for Celtic, and they came after Kasper Hogh had been withdrawn at the interval. Hogh, the club record signing from Bodo/Glimt, has now failed to score in 10 of his first 11 appearances for the club.

Vangelis Pavlidis added Benfica’s fourth late on, restoring the three-goal cushion and ending any faint hopes of a comeback. O’Neill later praised the second-half performance, saying his team could have collapsed but instead produced an excellent display. He insisted the showing gave him belief that Celtic can still qualify from the group stage.

McGregor: we did not help ourselves

Captain Callum McGregor was less forgiving of the first half, describing it as self-damaging. He pointed to unforced errors as the cause of Benfica’s second and third goals and noted that at this level, poor ball retention is punished. His assessment matched the pattern of a season in which Celtic have lost every high-stakes fixture — both meetings with Rangers and both European ties.

Striker debate intensifies

The substitution of Hogh for Duran has opened a genuine selection dilemma. Former Celtic midfielder Scott Allan said he would choose Duran over Hogh, arguing that Duran is more alert to balls into the area and that Hogh is not performing at full capacity. O’Neill himself noted that Duran’s best position is through the middle, though he has played wide at previous clubs, and that fitting him into the team is possible.

Chris Sutton, the former Celtic striker turned pundit, described the team as flat-track bullies — a cutting verdict on a side that has dominated domestically but faltered when the stakes rise. With Celtic already near the bottom of the Europa League table after two games, O’Neill’s defiance will be tested quickly.