O'Neill Stays Positive Despite Celtic's Europa League Woes

Celtic boss Martin O'Neill is trying to find a silver lining after his team's 4-1 defeat to Benfica in the Europa League. He highlighted the positives from the second half, insisting that the club can still advance to the knockout stages despite a rocky start. However, former player Chris Sutton didn't hold back, labeling Celtic as 'flat-track bullies.' The team has found itself on the losing end in four of their last five matches, with every significant fixture this season—against Rangers and in Europe—resulting in defeat. By the time Celtic showed some fight in Lisbon, they were already three goals down, largely due to their own careless mistakes. Just four minutes in, Dane Murray conceded a penalty after bringing down Jhon Duran, setting a troubling tone for the first half. Defensive lapses continued as Sebastian Tounekti let Alexander Bah slip by for Benfica's second goal, and goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo was unable to stop Duran's strike for the third. Celtic did manage to find a response in the second half when Camilo Duran scored, and he even struck the post, showing that there was some life left in the Scottish side. But Vangelis Pavlidis sealed the deal for Benfica with a fourth goal, extinguishing any lingering hopes for Celtic. “Conceding so early is the last thing you want,” O'Neill commented. “We could have folded, but I thought we played really well in the second half, creating numerous chances.” Yet, even the most die-hard Celtic fans might struggle to share O'Neill's optimism as the team languishes at the bottom of their group after just two games. Captain Callum McGregor was candid about the team's struggles, admitting, “We didn't help ourselves in the first half. Unforced errors led to their second and third goals, and we faced a huge mountain to climb.” Despite conceding four, Celtic's defense was under constant pressure from Benfica, who created plenty of scoring opportunities and hit the woodwork twice. The absence of injured defender Cameron Carter-Vickers was felt deeply, as Gianluca Prestianni and Duran exploited the visitors' defensive frailties. O'Neill also faces challenges in the forward department. Record signing Kasper Hogh was substituted at halftime and has struggled to find the net, failing to score in 10 of his first 11 matches since arriving from Bodo/Glimt. In contrast, Duran shifted inside after the break and proved to be a much more potent threat. Former Celtic midfielder Scott Allan noted, “If I’m a creative player, I’d choose Duran every time. He knows how to position himself to capitalize on chances.” O'Neill acknowledged Duran's potential, saying, “I believe his best position is through the middle. Now we just need to find a way to fit him in.” The competition for spots is heating up, and O'Neill has some tough decisions ahead.