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Benfica beat Celtic 4-1 in Lisbon, with Jhon Duran scoring twice. Celtic remain winless in the Europa League league phase after two matches.
Benfica defeated Celtic 4-1 in the UEFA Europa League league phase on Thursday, 15 October 2026, at Estadio da Luz in Lisbon. The result leaves Celtic with two defeats from their first two games in the competition's league phase.
Benfica took an early lead when Dane Murray fouled Jhon Duran in the penalty area. Jhon Duran converted the resulting penalty with a panenka in the fifth minute. According to Sky Sports, the former Aston Villa striker was "cool as you like" during the spot kick.
The hosts extended their lead to 2-0 in the 23rd minute. Gianluca Prestianni provided a cross for Alexander Bah, who volleyed the ball into the net. Sky Sports noted that Celtic defender Sebastian Tounekti "goes to sleep" during the play, allowing Bah to run into space.
Benfica made it 3-0 before half-time. Jhon Duran scored his second goal of the match in the 36th minute, firing a shot past goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo from a narrow angle after holding off Auston Trusty. Celtic had opportunities to reduce the deficit earlier in the half, with Kasper Hogh and Camilo Duran both hitting the woodwork.
Celtic pulled one back in the 63rd minute. Substitute Haissem Hassan crossed the ball, and Camilo Duran headed it into the goal. Camilo Duran had traveled to Portugal after staying in Scotland for the birth of his child, according to Sky Sports.
Celtic captain Callum McGregor told TNT Sports that the first half was disappointing due to "unforced errors," but stated that the second half "gives us a bit to hang onto in terms of performance." Celtic manager Martin O'Neill said he was "really, really delighted with the second-half performance" but acknowledged the difficulty of conceding three goals early.
Benfica sealed the victory in the 89th minute when Vangelis Pavlidis scored from the edge of the box. Pavlidis had been Benfica's top scorer in the season prior to this match, with eight goals in nine games according to TNT Sports.
Despite the loss, O'Neill maintained that Celtic could still progress in the competition. "I think we can still qualify. I know it's down to six games. We can still do it," O'Neill said to TNT Sports. The Europa League league phase consists of eight matches for each team, with six remaining for Celtic.
Celtic's next Europa League fixture is against Celta Vigo, while Benfica will play Omonia in Cyprus. Benfica remain unbeaten in 12 UEFA Europa League home group/league stage games, according to TribalFootball.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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