Benfica beat Celtic 4-1, leaving them pointless after two games

Benfica beat Celtic 4-1 in Lisbon on Thursday, October 15, leaving Martin O’Neill’s side without a point after two Europa League league-phase matches. Celtic fell three goals behind before halftime and scored once after the break, but Benfica added a fourth late on. Jhon Durán put Benfica ahead from the penalty spot in the opening minutes after Dane Murray conceded a penalty. Durán scored again, with Alexander Bah also finding the net as Benfica built a 3-0 lead by halftime. Celtic’s first-half defensive errors left them facing a steep deficit. O’Neill made changes at the interval, and Celtic improved after the break. Haissem Hassan set up Camilo Durán, who headed in Celtic’s goal. Celtic threatened further during their better spell, but Vangelis Pavlidis scored late to complete the 4-1 result. The defeat followed Celtic’s 3-1 home loss to Ferencvaros in their opening league-phase match. The two losses left the Scottish club with zero points after two games. O’Neill said after the Benfica match that Celtic could still qualify, with six league-phase matches remaining. Footage posted online by journalist Conor showed travelling Celtic supporters chanting against the club’s board...