Benfica were 3-0 up by the 36th minute and never let Celtic back into Benfica vs Celtic, closing out a 4-1 win in Lisbon. Jhon Durán scored twice, the first from the spot after five minutes, and Benfica's best work came through Gianluca Prestianni, who supplied both assists. By half-time, the game was effectively gone.

That start shaped everything. Celtic were passive, loose defensively and chasing the match almost from kick-off, while Benfica played with the kind of conviction you expect from a side that senses weakness early.

Durán and Prestianni took the game away

Durán's night began with the penalty that put Benfica ahead after five minutes. Dane Murray's foul on him handed the home side the opening, and once the striker converted, Celtic never settled.

Benfica's third arrived after 36 minutes, which tells you how one-sided the opening phase became. Durán finished with two goals and an 8.2 rating, while Prestianni produced two assists and the highest rating on the pitch at 8.6.

Those numbers fit what the match looked like. Durán gave Benfica a direct edge in the box, but Prestianni was the one stretching the game and finding the pass that Celtic could not deal with. The briefest summary is also the fairest one: Benfica had the better forward and the better creator on the night.

There were other contributors around them too. Vangelis Pavlidis and Alexander Bah are part of a front-foot side that attacked Celtic early, and the pressure never really dropped once the first goal went in.

Celtic's first-half collapse

Celtic were 3-0 down by half-time, and that was the real story of the result. Losing in Lisbon can happen. Being effectively finished before the break is the part that will sting.

A Bola's match report put it this way, in comments translated from Portuguese: "Poor approach by the Ukrainian goalkeeper cost dearly." The line refers to Anatoliy Trubin, although the wider issue for Celtic was not one moment or one player. Their defensive errors and hesitant start left too much space and too much time for Benfica's best attackers.

This is where the scoreline and the performance line up cleanly. Celtic did not absorb pressure, did not slow the game and did not give themselves a platform to grow into it. Against a Benfica side already moving the ball with speed and confidence, that was a bad combination.

Calum Crowe, quoted by dailymail.com, was brutal in his assessment: "But there is simply no evidence to support any theory that this Celtic team would be capable of going on such a run."

That may read harshly, but the first half gave Celtic very little protection from that conclusion. Benfica had three goals before the interval and the match had already shifted into damage-limitation territory.

Camilo Duran's goal came too late to change the night

Camilo Duran did at least give Celtic something in the second half. A Bola reported that he pulled one back in the 63rd minute, while other reporting on the goal time is less precise, so that timing should be treated with some caution.

Even so, the goal only trimmed the score to 4-1. It was also the second time Camilo Duran has scored against Benfica, a small individual note in a match that had already been decided much earlier.

Benfica's margin was built before the break, through Durán's finishing and Prestianni's supply line. Celtic's response came after the contest had already swung heavily against them, and the final record will show Benfica 4-1 Celtic.

FAQ

Why were Celtic so far behind so early against Benfica?

Celtic were in trouble almost immediately. Jhon Durán scored a penalty after five minutes, and Benfica were 3-0 up by the 36th minute. The early foul that gave away the penalty and a passive first half left Celtic chasing the game before the interval.

How did Jhon Durán and Gianluca Prestianni combine to beat Celtic?

Durán scored twice and Prestianni assisted both goals. Their link-up drove Benfica's attack and shaped the game before half-time. Prestianni also finished as the highest-rated player on the pitch with an 8.6 rating, while Durán posted an 8.2.

Did Celtic offer any response after Benfica went 3-0 up?

Celtic did get a goal back through Camilo Duran, with A Bola reporting it came in the 63rd minute. It gave them a brief second-half lift, but Benfica had already built a 3-0 half-time lead and went on to win 4-1.

Was Benfica vs Celtic close at any point?

Not for long. Benfica led from the fifth minute through Durán's penalty, had three goals on the board by 36 minutes and were 3-0 ahead at half-time. Celtic's only goal came later, after the match had already swung heavily Benfica's way.

Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →