Benfica vs Celtic - prediction, team news, lineups

Benfica and Celtic volition conscionable astatine Estadio da Luz connected Thursday nighttime for a matchday 2 clash successful the league signifier of the Europa League. 

The 2 teams person had contrasting starts, with the hosts securing each 3 points connected matchday one, portion the visitors suffered a disappointing decision successful their opening game. 

Match preview

Benfica appointed Marco Silva arsenic their manager pursuing the departure of Jose Mourinho to Real Madrid successful the summer, and the caller manager has enjoyed a superb commencement to beingness astatine Estadio da Luz. 

The erstwhile Fulham brag really started his tenure with a worrying 2-1 decision to St Gallen successful the archetypal limb of their Europa League 2nd qualifying circular tie. 

However, a commanding 5-0 second-leg triumph ensured their progression, and that triumph sparked the opening of a stunning tally of results, including booking their spot successful the league signifier of the Europa League with wins implicit Hearts and AGF successful the qualifying rounds.

Those victories were portion of an awesome 12-game unbeaten run, which besides included Benfica opening their Europa League run with a superb 2-0 distant triumph against AC Milan. 

Benfica's 12-game unbeaten tally did travel to an eventual extremity against Porto successful the last crippled earlier the planetary break, losing 3-1, but they rapidly bounced backmost with a 2-0 triumph against Vitoria connected Sunday.

Benfica, who consequently beryllium 2nd successful Liga Portugal and seventh successful the Europa League, person been astatine their champion astatine Estadio da Luz this term, winning six and drafting 1 of their 7 location fixtures. 

Silva volition beryllium anxious to support that unbeaten location grounds and physique connected their triumph against AC Milan erstwhile they instrumentality connected Celtic connected matchday 2 connected Thursday. 

Celtic, successful comparison, person had a mixed commencement to the 2026-27 season, featuring respective highly disappointing results that person near the unit gathering connected Martin O'Neill's presumption astatine the helm. 

After winning their opening 4 games of the season, Celtic suffered a catastrophic elimination from the Champions League qualifiers against LASK Linz, squandering a 4-0 pb arsenic they mislaid 5-1 successful the 2nd leg.

Although 4 Scottish Premiership triumphs followed, Celtic yet suffered their archetypal home decision of the run connected September 13, losing 3-0 to rivals Rangers successful the League Cup. 

That nonaccomplishment marked the commencement of a miserable three-game losing streak, featuring a 3-1 location decision to Ferencvaros successful the Europa League and a 1-0 location decision to Rangers successful the Scottish Premiership. 

O'Neill did negociate to bargain himself clip with a 2-0 triumph against Motherwell connected Sunday, which ensures Celtic stay astatine the apical of the standings, but different lacklustre show and effect connected Thursday could spot the scrutiny proceed to build. 

Celtic volition gully assurance from their grounds distant from location successful the Europa League past season, winning two, drafting 2 and losing lone 1 of their 5 fixtures connected the road. 

However, the Bhoys person already shown signs of weakness connected their travels this season, including the 5-1 decision to LASK successful Austria and the 3-0 nonaccomplishment to Rangers astatine Ibrox. 

Benfica Europa League form:

Benfica signifier (all competitions):

Celtic Europa League form:

Celtic signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Enzo Barrenechea volition stay unavailable for Benfica until November owed to a genu injury, portion Jakub Kaminski is simply a uncertainty to diagnostic with a musculus issue. 

Vangelis Pavlidis has enjoyed a stunning commencement to the play with 14 goals successful 14 games, and the striker volition pb the enactment up of an expected trio of Dodi Lukebakio, Gianluca Prestianni and Andreas Schjelderup.

As for Celtic, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Alistair Johnston and Yang Hyun-Jun are unavailable, portion Callum Osmand is simply a uncertainty with an ankle injury. 

The backmost 4 of Kieran Tierney, Liam Scales, Dane Murray and Colby Donovan could stay unchanged from the triumph against Motherwell, portion the onslaught of Kasper Hogh, Sebastian Tounekti, Benjamin Nygren and Camilo Duran could commencement again.

Benfica imaginable starting lineup:

Trubin; Bah, Circati, Araujo, El Karouani; Palhinha, Aursnes; Lukebakio, Prestianni, Schjelderup; Pavlidis

Celtic imaginable starting lineup:

Sinisalo; Donovan, Murray, Scales, Tierney; McGregor, Baur; Duran, Nygren, Tounekti; Hogh

We say: Benfica 2-0 Celtic

Celtic person struggled distant from location successful investigating matches this season, and with Benfica's ongoing unbeaten tally astatine their location ground, the hosts should assertion a comfy win.

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