Celtic head to Lisbon with a domestic win behind them and European ground to make up. Tonight's opponents, Benfica, have already won away at Milan in the Europa League, making this a demanding assignment for a Celtic side still seeking their first league-phase points.
Celtic need a different European night
A 3-1 home defeat by Ferencváros left Celtic with nothing from their opening match. A 1-0 loss to Rangers followed, but Sunday's 2-0 win at Motherwell gave them a response before this trip.
The clean sheet matters as well as the points. Celtic had conceded four goals across those two defeats; at Fir Park, they returned to winning without allowing another. Repeating that resilience against Benfica would give them a chance to leave Lisbon with something.
Their recent away league results offer encouragement: wins at St Mirren, St Johnstone and Motherwell. Europe is a different test, but Celtic do not arrive needing to discover how to get a result away from home.
Benfica set a strong European standard
Benfica opened their league phase with a 2-0 win at AC Milan. That result puts them in a different position from Celtic: three points already secured, with a home match now offering the opportunity to build on them.
Marco Silva's side also returned from the international break with a win, beating Vitória Guimarães 2-0 on Sunday. It was a response to their 3-1 defeat at Porto before the break, rather than the continuation of an unbeaten run.
Before that Porto loss, Benfica had won five straight matches: against Estoril, Marítimo, Moreirense, Gil Vicente and Milan. Celtic are facing a side that has shown it can win both at home and away, not one dependent on the occasion at the Luz.
Points first, then the next test
For Celtic, the immediate task is to turn Sunday's domestic recovery into European points. A second defeat would leave them chasing the league phase before next week's home match against Celta Vigo.
Benfica can make it two wins from two, but Celtic's recent away victories are a reason to compete, not to write off the evening. The visitors need to make this a contest that lasts, rather than spend another European night trying to recover from a setback.
Tonight in Lisbon
Benfica v Celtic — Thursday 15 October, 8pm BST / 8pm in Lisbon
Estádio da Luz
UEFA Europa League, league phase
Follow our fixture schedule and latest results for the rest of tonight's European football.
Sources: Benfica's official match centre, Celtic's fixture guide, and current fixtures and completed results. Records are those before kick-off.
