One 7/10 warrior but defensive collapse condemns Celtic to another European humbling as Benfica flex attacking muscle

Celtic’s return to Lisbon, the city forever associated with the greatest achievement in their history, ended in a sobering defeat as Benfica capitalised on a catalogue of defensive errors to inflict a 4-1 loss on Martin O’Neill’s side in the Europa League.

O’Neill had hoped a visit to the Estádio Nacional, where Celtic lifted the European Cup in 1967, would provide inspiration for a team seeking to recover from their opening defeat by Ferencváros on Matchday One. Instead, the trip across Portugal’s capital offered a stark reminder of the distance between those glorious days and the present, as the Scottish champions were three goals down inside 36 minutes.

Benfica arrived in confident mood after beating AC Milan at the San Siro in their opening league phase encounter. They were well equipped to exploit a Celtic side that had managed only two clean sheets in their previous 29 Europa League matches.

With around 3,500 travelling Celtic supporters making the trip, there was hope that the occasion might bring a response. Those ambitions were undermined within five minutes.

Dane Murray’s wild swipe caught Jhon Duran inside the penalty area and left the referee with little hesitation in pointing to the spot. The former Aston Villa striker stepped forward and coolly dinked the ball down the middle, sending Viljami Sinisalo the wrong way.

Celtic initially showed some resilience. Kasper Høgh forced Anatoliy Trubin into a smart save with a low effort on the angle, while Mika Baur tested the Benfica No.1 from distance. But the hosts were increasingly dangerous in possession, with Gianluca Prestianni at the centre of much of their best work.

The Argentine winger curled narrowly over before turning provider for Benfica’s second in the 23rd minute. Sebastien Tounekti failed to follow Alexander Bah’s movement at the far post, allowing the full-back to ghost in unmarked and volley Prestianni’s cross into the net. It was a goal of alarming simplicity from a Celtic perspective.

There was a brief window for the visitors to restore some credibility. Høgh struck the woodwork from point-blank range and Duran curled the rebound against the crossbar, too, as the visitors came agonisingly close to reducing the deficit.

Those misses were punished ruthlessly. Fredrik Aursnes found the net before the offside flag came to Celtic’s rescue. But Benfica struck again in the 36th minute. Duran found space with remarkable ease as Celtic’s defence was prised open with ease, and although Auston Trusty appeared to have forced him wide, the Colombian still managed to get a low shot away. Sinisalo failed to keep it out, allowing the ball to pass through him and into the net.

At 3-0, the contest looked all-but over. Prestianni continued to threaten, forcing Sinisalo into a save from a tight angle, while Celtic offered little in response beyond a straightforward long-range effort from Kieran Tierney.

O’Neill made two changes at the interval, introducing Haissem Hassan and Callum Osmand for Tounekti and Høgh. The adjustments brought greater energy, and Celtic began to carry more conviction in the final third.

Hassan immediately looked capable of unsettling Benfica’s rear-guard, although his first attempt was comfortably dealt with by Trubin. At the other end, Sinisalo’s poor clearance presented Dodi Lukebakio with an opportunity to extend the lead, but he dragged his shot wide.

Celtic pulled one back just beyond the hour mark. Hassan beat his marker down the right and delivered an inviting cross, which Duran met with a brave header ahead of Trubin. It was a reward for the striker’s persistence and a moment of encouragement for the travelling support.

For the first time, Benfica looked vulnerable. Duran then struck the near post after being played through by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, while Andreas Schjelderup also hit the woodwork at the opposite end. Osmand then had a glorious chance to bring Celtic within a goal, but opted to shoot rather than square the ball to Duran.

That was as close as Celtic came to making the closing stages uncomfortable for the hosts. Instead, Benfica delivered a decisive fourth in the 89th minute. Substitute Vangelis Pavlidis sent a shot through a pair of Celtic defenders and beyond a rooted Sinisalo to complete the rout. The scoreline reflected the gulf between the sides.

O’Neill’s appeal to the club’s Lisbon legacy had been understandable. Celtic’s European Cup triumph remains one of British football’s defining achievements. Yet this was a night when history provided little protection from present-day shortcomings.

After back-to-back defeats to Ferencváros and Benfica, Celtic have work to do if they are to revive their Europa League campaign.