Benfica Thrash Celtic 4-1 as Jhon Duran Brace Leaves O'Neill's Side in Trouble

Benfica claimed a convincing 4-1 victory over Celtic in the Europa League on Thursday night, with Jhon Duran scoring twice to put the Portuguese side firmly in control before half-time.

The hosts made an immediate impact at the Estadio da Luz, taking the lead in the fifth minute after Dane Murray brought down Duran inside the penalty area. The Colombian striker confidently converted the resulting spot-kick with a Panenka finish.

Celtic struggled to contain Benfica's attacking threat and fell further behind in the 23rd minute. Gianluca Prestianni delivered an inviting cross into the box, allowing Alexander Bah to finish and double the home side's advantage.

Martin O'Neill's team had opportunities to respond, with Kasper Hogh striking the post before Camilo Duran saw his follow-up effort hit the crossbar and post. However, their missed chances proved costly as Benfica extended their lead just before the break.

Jhon Duran scored his second goal of the evening in the 36th minute, finding a way past goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo from a difficult angle to make it 3-0.

Celtic showed greater determination after the interval and eventually found a breakthrough in the 63rd minute. Camilo Duran headed home Haissem Hassan's cross to give the visitors hope of mounting a comeback.

The Scottish side continued to threaten, with Camilo Duran hitting the post again after being set up by substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Benfica also struck the woodwork during an increasingly open second half, but the hosts ultimately put the result beyond doubt in the closing stages.

Vangelis Pavlidis sealed the win in the 89th minute, making a well-timed run behind the defence before firing a low finish into the net.

The result leaves Celtic with two defeats from their opening two Europa League league-phase matches, increasing the pressure on O'Neill's side as they look to keep their qualification hopes alive.

Despite the heavy defeat, O'Neill praised his team's second-half display and insisted there was still time to turn their European campaign around. Celtic captain Callum McGregor also pointed to the improvement after the break, while acknowledging that defensive errors had made their task considerably harder.

For Benfica, the victory provided a strong European performance built on clinical finishing and their ability to punish Celtic's defensive weaknesses.