Celtic face knockout stage pressure after a 4-1 Europa League defeat to Benfica in Lisbon extended their run of high-stakes losses to four defeats across their past five outings. Martin O’Neill remains defiant despite the scoreline.
Celtic have now dropped two Europa League group fixtures alongside a pair of derby losses, piling pressure on the squad after four defeats across their past five outings. Every high-stakes fixture this term—covering both European appearances and both meetings with Rangers—has ended in defeat for the Glasgow side.
Defensive Flaws Shape Lisbon Defeat
Benfica capitalized fully on defensive absences in the Portuguese capital. Playing without the injured Cameron Carter-Vickers, Celtic watched their back four get exposed as Gianluca Prestianni and Jhon Duran ran riot.
The hosts hit the woodwork twice alongside their four goals, and the scoreline reflected a dominant display in both halves. Early mistakes set the tone for the visitors.
Dane Murray upended Duran inside four minutes to concede a penalty, an early error that encapsulated a sloppy opening 45 minutes. By the time Celtic found some rhythm after the interval, they were already trailing by three goals and effectively out of contention.
Attack Struggles With Kasper Hogh Form
While defensive depth remains an issue, the club’s attacking options present an equally difficult puzzle for the management team. Club record signing Kasper Hogh was hauled off at half-time in Lisbon. The forward has now failed to find the net in 10 of his first 11 appearances since arriving from Bodo/Glimt during the summer window.
Shifting Duran into a central role for the second half immediately changed the dynamic of the attack. Former Celtic midfielder Scott Allan pointed out the stark difference in movement and presence between the two forwards.
If I’m a creative midfield player and I’ve got Duran and Hogh to pick from, I’m taking Duran every day of the week. He looks to get off the side of defenders, if you put a ball in the area, he’s more likely to be alive to it.
Scott Allan, former Celtic midfielder, via BBC
Allan added that Hogh just isn’t firing on all cylinders, noting that supporters could easily see why O’Neill made the tactical switch at the break.
Manager Defends Selection Amid Pundit Criticism
O’Neill acknowledged post-match that he views Duran’s best role through the center, though the striker has spent time out wide at previous clubs. Balancing that positional preference with Hogh’s substantial price tag creates an ongoing selection headache for the manager.
[Duran] has played wide at his previous clubs. But I personally feel his best position is through the middle. It’s now a matter of us trying to fit him in and I think we can do that. It’s a real battle for places now.
External criticism has been swift as the losses accumulate. In contrast to the manager’s focus on second-half improvements, former Celtic striker Chris Sutton branded his former side as flat-track bullies
following another failure against elite opposition.
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