Martin O’Neill has backed Celtic to reach the UEFA Europa League knockout stages despite their disappointing defeat to Benfica in Lisbon, pointing to an impressive second-half performance as a reason for optimism.
The Hoops endured a difficult night on Thursday, October 15, after falling three goals behind before the break in their second match of the European campaign.
Camilo Durán pulled one back for Celtic after the interval, offering the Scottish side a lifeline as they attempted to mount a comeback. However, Benfica struck again in the final minute of regular time to restore their three-goal advantage and complete a frustrating evening for O’Neill’s men.
Despite the result, the Celtic manager was encouraged by his players’ response after the break, insisting their attacking display and the impact of the substitutes gave him renewed belief in their qualification chances.
Speaking to Celtic Player after the match, O’Neill admitted that his team had made life difficult for themselves with a costly start.
“It was tough. We conceded an early goal from a penalty kick. It put us on the back foot, particularly when we’d started actually quite brightly.
“We’d forced a corner from them, and no sooner had that happened, then we were 2-0 down. We could have capitulated at half-time in the game at 3-0.
“In fact, we should have scored. We had a great chance to make it 2-1 before they made it 3-0.
The Celtic boss was particularly frustrated that his side failed to capitalise on a promising opportunity before Benfica extended their lead. That missed chance proved significant as the hosts took control of the contest and left the visitors facing a steep climb after the interval.
However, O’Neill saw a different Celtic side emerge in the second half, with improved attacking intent and a greater ability to create opportunities against their Portuguese opponents.
The manager praised the team’s determination, believing their response demonstrated the character needed to recover from difficult moments during the European campaign.
“But I take encouragement from the second half performance. I thought we were brilliant.
‘I thought we created a lot of chances. Of course, on the break, there’s a possibility of them scoring a goal, which they did do.’
Although Benfica eventually added a fourth goal, O’Neill remained pleased with Celtic’s attacking output after the restart. The visitors pushed forward in search of a comeback, creating opportunities but leaving spaces that the home side could exploit on the counterattack.
The result exposed Celtic’s first-half defensive struggles, but their improved display after the break provided a more encouraging picture of what the team could produce.
“But in terms of chances we created, I thought that was terrific. Of course, we let the game slip in the first half, but really big, big effort.
“The substitutes coming on made a massive difference to us and I was delighted with the second half.
O’Neill also highlighted the influence of his substitutes, suggesting the players introduced from the bench helped transform Celtic’s performance and inject fresh energy into their attacking play.
That contribution could prove important as the Scottish champions look to balance domestic commitments with the demands of European football.
Despite the setback in Lisbon, the Celtic manager refused to abandon his ambition of progressing beyond the league phase. Instead, he believes the team’s second-half performance offers a platform to build on as they prepare for their remaining fixtures.
“Honestly, it gives me the heart to know that we’ll still qualify for the knockout stages. The subs really seem to make a difference.”
Celtic must now turn their attention to the next stage of their Europa League campaign, with the need to improve their defensive organisation and deliver more consistent performances over 90 minutes.
For O’Neill, the defeat to Benfica was a reminder of the cost of a slow start at European level. However, his confidence in the squad remains intact, with the response after half-time providing encouragement that Celtic can still fight their way into the knockout stages.
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