O'Neill Claims Celtic Can Still Qualify After 4-1 Europa League Beating by Benfica

Celtic manager Martin O'Neill insisted his side can still reach the Europa League knockout stages after a 4-1 defeat by Benfica in Lisbon left them without a point from their opening two league-phase matches.

Celtic have now lost both fixtures, following a 3-1 home defeat by Ferencváros on 17 September. With the competition using a single league table rather than traditional groups, they must climb the standings quickly to have any chance of progressing.

O'Neill Encouraged by Second-Half Response

O'Neill said he took encouragement from Celtic's display after the interval, when they reduced the deficit and created several chances against a Benfica team already well in control.

Despite the scoreline, he maintained that his players were still capable of qualifying for the knockout stages and pointed to their improvement in the latter stages of the match as a reason for optimism.

The manager also made clear that he considered Camilo Durán best suited to playing through the middle, the role the forward occupied in the second half. Durán scored Celtic's only goal in the 63rd minute after being moved centrally, finishing calmly to give the travelling support something to cheer.

O'Neill suggested that Durán's contribution in that position offered him another option as he looks to settle on a preferred shape in Europe. He hinted that Celtic's attacking approach might evolve over the coming weeks as he responds to what he has seen in the opening matches.

Captain Callum McGregor admitted that Celtic's own errors had played a significant part in the defeat and accepted that the team had contributed to their own problems. He acknowledged that the players would have to improve quickly if they were to turn around their European campaign.

Early Penalty Leaves Celtic Chasing Game

Celtic's problems began inside five minutes, when Dane Murray fouled Jhon Durán in the penalty area. The Benfica forward converted the spot-kick to give the hosts an early lead and allowed them to settle into the game.

Alexander Bah doubled the advantage in the 23rd minute and Jhon Durán added his second in the 36th, leaving Celtic 3-0 down at half-time and with a steep task to get back into the contest. The goals reflected Benfica's threat whenever they advanced in numbers and Celtic's difficulty in dealing with their movement.

Celtic improved after the break and Camilo Durán pulled a goal back, only for Benfica to restore their three-goal lead when Vangelis Pavlidis scored in the 89th minute. Any hopes of a late comeback were ended at that point as Benfica reasserted control.

Celtic were without Cameron Carter-Vickers in their starting line-up. Auston Trusty and Murray formed the centre-back pairing, and the back line found it difficult to contain Benfica's movement and pace in attack over the 90 minutes.

Questions Mount Over Attacking Options

Kasper Høgh, Celtic's club-record signing from Bodø/Glimt, who arrived on 28 July, started in Lisbon but was substituted at half-time. His recent performances have prompted discussion about his sharpness in front of goal and his immediate impact at this level, given the expectation that comes with his transfer fee.

Speaking on TNT Sports, former Celtic striker Chris Sutton criticised Celtic's performances against stronger opposition. Former Celtic midfielder Scott Allan argued that Camilo Durán provided a more effective attacking option than Høgh and suggested that using Durán centrally from the start could give the team greater penetration.

The defeat added to the scrutiny on O'Neill as he seeks a settled and effective attacking combination. Celtic have six league-phase matches remaining and will need a marked improvement in results if they are to keep their knockout hopes alive.

With their next fixtures set to shape the tone of the rest of the campaign, O'Neill will be under pressure to translate his belief in the squad into points on the board and to show that Celtic can respond to a difficult start.