Celtic beaten 4-1 by Benfica as O'Neill defends European hopes
Celtic's 4-1 Europa League loss at Benfica leaves them 34th of 36, with Martin O'Neill insisting they can still qualify while Chris Sutton calls the side flat-track bullies.
Celtic fell to a 4-1 Europa League defeat at Benfica on Thursday, a result that leaves the Scottish champions 34th of 36 teams after two group games and extends a run of four losses in five matches. Every high-stakes fixture this season - both meetings with Rangers and both European outings - has ended in defeat.
The visitors were undone by errors before half-time. Dane Murray brought down Jhon Duran for a penalty inside four minutes, Sebastian Tounekti let Alexander Bah run past him for Benfica's second, and goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo was beaten too easily for Duran's third. Camilo Duran pulled one back after the break and hit a post as Celtic improved, before Vangelis Pavlidis added Benfica's fourth late on.
Manager Martin O'Neill chose to highlight the second-half response, saying the performance was terrific and that he retains belief in qualification. "I think we can still qualify," he said. Captain Callum McGregor struck a more critical tone, telling TNT Sports that unforced errors led to the second and third goals and that at this level teams get punished for not looking after the ball.
Even the most ardent Celtic supporters would struggle to share their manager's optimism given the table position. Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton branded his old side flat-track bullies, underlining the gap between domestic form and results in high-stakes matches.
Benfica's margin was deserved. The Portuguese side created chances in both halves and hit the woodwork twice in addition to their four goals. Celtic's defensive depth was exposed again without the injured Cameron Carter-Vickers as Gianluca Prestianni and Duran troubled the back four.
Celtic's attacking issues also came into focus. Club record signing Kasper Hogh was withdrawn at half-time and has now failed to score in 10 of his first 11 appearances since arriving from Bodo/Glimt. Former midfielder Scott Allan said he would choose Duran over Hogh, noting the Colombian's movement and poaching instincts, while O'Neill said he sees Duran's best position as through the middle.
Image: SNS / BBC Sport
