Benfica VS Celtic FC

Benfica will host Celtic at Estadio da Luz on Thursday night in the second matchday of the Europa League, with both teams aiming to strengthen their position in the competition. Under new manager Marco Silva, Benfica have enjoyed an encouraging start to the season, putting together a 12-match unbeaten run before suffering a 3-1 defeat to Porto. They responded well to that setback by beating Vitoria 2-0, maintaining their position near the top of Liga Portugal. Their European campaign also began positively with an impressive 2-0 away victory over AC Milan, highlighting their ability to compete against strong opposition. Benfica have been particularly effective at home, recording six wins and one draw in their first seven matches at Estadio da Luz this season. Silva will be keen to preserve that record and build on the team's recent performances as they prepare to face the Scottish champions. Celtic arrive in Lisbon after a turbulent start to their 2026-27 campaign, with several disappointing results raising questions about their consistency under Martin O'Neill. Despite winning their first four matches of the season, they suffered a dramatic Champions League qualifying exit against LASK Linz after losing a second-leg encounter in which they had held a commanding advantage. Their difficulties continued with a 3-0 defeat to Rangers in the League Cup, followed by losses to Ferencvaros in the Europa League and Rangers in the Scottish Premiership. A 2-0 victory over Motherwell provided some relief and helped Celtic maintain their position at the top of the domestic standings. Nevertheless, their away performances have been inconsistent, making the trip to Portugal a significant test. Celtic can take encouragement from their European away record last season, when they lost only once in five matches, but they will need greater defensive discipline and composure to challenge Benfica on their home ground.