NafisaCeltic’s humiliating night in Portugal has left Martin O’Neill with plenty of problems to solve, but their captain believes the biggest issue was one his side could have avoided.
The Hoops travelled to Lisbon hoping to collect their first points in the Europa League league phase, only to find themselves three goals behind at half-time after a disastrous opening period. Benfica took full advantage of Celtic’s mistakes, turning promising moments for the visitors into another painful European lesson.
There were signs of improvement after the interval, with Celtic looking more threatening and eventually finding the net through Camilo Durán. However, the damage had already been done, and a late fourth goal from Vangelis Pavlidis ensured Benfica finished the evening with a convincing 4-1 victory.
For Celtic, the defeat was particularly frustrating because their performance was not entirely without positives. They had spells of possession, created opportunities and showed greater attacking intent after the break. Yet none of that could disguise the errors that allowed Benfica to establish such a commanding advantage.
Captain Callum McGregor has now identified the problem that proved so costly, admitting that Celtic’s own mistakes made an already difficult challenge considerably harder.
McGregor Highlights Celtic’s Costly Mistakes
Speaking to TNT Sports after the match, McGregor acknowledged the quality of the opposition but made it clear that Celtic had contributed significantly to their own downfall.
“Yeah, obviously, it’s a disappointing result. You’re obviously here to try and get points and try and win.
“But, yeah, you’re playing against a really good side with really good quality in the final third. I think the first half, we didn’t really help ourselves in terms of certain forced errors that lead to the goal.
“But the second half gives us a little bit to hang on to in terms of performance.
“We scored one, probably could score another couple as well. So, I think probably a game of two halves.”
The captain’s assessment captured the frustration of a night when Celtic struggled to turn possession into meaningful control.
Benfica did not need to dominate every aspect of the contest to take charge. Instead, they repeatedly capitalised when Celtic lost possession or failed to deal with dangerous situations, leaving the visitors chasing the game before the interval.
Dane Murray’s early foul on Jhon Durán resulted in a penalty, which the Benfica striker converted with a Panenka. Alexander Bah then doubled the hosts’ advantage before Durán struck again to make it 3-0.
That left Celtic facing an enormous task in the second half, with their margin for error effectively gone.
Celtic Had the Ball but Could Not Avoid Punishment
McGregor offered a more detailed explanation of where the game went wrong, suggesting Celtic were not necessarily struggling to get involved in possession before their mistakes began to hurt them.
“Yeah, I guess in terms of the scoring, I actually think the team was okay.
“We actually had the ball. We tried to show our personality on the ball and tried to get playing.
“But it was then just the unforced errors after that that lead to the second and third goal.
“And that does give you a mountain to climb at half-time. But I think the team reset themselves reasonably well at half-time.”
Those comments point towards a problem that Celtic must address quickly. Against technically gifted opponents, possession alone is not enough. Teams must protect the ball, make better decisions under pressure and avoid giving dangerous attackers opportunities to exploit defensive uncertainty.
Celtic were punished whenever their concentration or execution let them down, and the three-goal deficit left them needing an almost perfect second half to recover.
The response after the break was encouraging, but McGregor’s words suggest the captain understands why it was not enough. Celtic cannot afford to make the same mistakes against strong opposition and expect a late improvement to rescue the result.
Europa League Pressure Mounts After Second Defeat
The loss leaves Celtic without a point from their opening two Europa League league-phase matches, putting greater pressure on the remaining fixtures.
Under the competition’s format, each team plays eight matches, giving Celtic opportunities to recover. However, the captain knows that their poor start has increased the importance of the games ahead.
“Yeah, of course.
“We need to try and get enough points to qualify from the table phase of the competition. With the eight games, it gives you slightly longer, just in case you don’t have a good start.
“But like you said, now the onus is on us.”
Celtic therefore have little time to dwell on the defeat. The remaining European fixtures offer a route back into contention, but collecting the necessary points will require greater consistency and fewer self-inflicted problems.
The second-half display in Lisbon may offer some encouragement, yet the team must find a way to produce that level of attacking intent from the opening whistle rather than waiting until they are already trailing heavily.
Hearts Clash Becomes Immediate Priority
Celtic return to domestic action against Hearts this weekend, giving O’Neill’s side an immediate opportunity to respond.
McGregor was keen to stress the importance of the league, particularly after European disappointment.
“Yeah, they’re all big games.
“But like you said, especially coming off the back of European games, the league is our bread and butter. We have to continue to win games in that.
“It was a good performance at the weekend, a good victory. You come here, some nice signs in the game in terms of against a really high-level opponent.
“But ultimately, the slackness with the ball is the bit that kills us and makes it really difficult. So, disappointed with the result.
“But there’s probably aspects there that we still quite like of the second half.
“But again, when you don’t come home with any points, then it’s always disappointing.”
The message from the Celtic captain is clear: there were positives to take from the performance, but they cannot become an excuse for the mistakes that decided the contest.
Against Benfica, Celtic showed that they could create problems when they played with greater urgency and confidence. The challenge now is to combine that attacking threat with the discipline needed to prevent opponents from taking control so early.
McGregor has identified the costly weakness. Now O’Neill must find a way to eliminate it before Celtic’s European campaign slips further away.
Nafisa
