Celtic showed fight in the second half but were eventually beaten away by Benfica after being beaten 4-1 in the Europa League.
Defensive errors from Celtic helped Marco Silva’s hosts race into a three-goal lead at the break, with Jhon Duran scoring twice and Alexander Bah netting the scores.
Camilo Duran – who had made his way to Portugal after staying in Scotland for the birth of his child – pulled one back for Martin O’Neill’s side and hit the post as Celtic tried to put an end to the stand.
But instead, Vangelis Pavlidis completed the scoring and a comprehensive victory for Benfica, which leaves Celtic with two defeats from their opening two games in the league stage.
There may have been encouragement in some of their attacking play in the second half, but alarm bells were ringing at the back.
In Lisbon, the city that hosted Celtic’s greatest moment in the 1976 European Cup final, the visitors gave Benfica a head start when Dane Murray volleyed past Duran’s legs in a crowded box. The former Aston Villa striker was cool with his penalty kick.
Sebastian Tounekti then broke it down for Bah to volley over, before Auston Trusty and Celtic keeper Vijami Sinisalo combined to let Duran score from what looked an unlikely position for the third.
Benfica’s Jhon Duran celebrates after scoring a penalty against Celtic
Celtic were desperately unlucky not to make it 2-1, with Kasper Hogh hitting the post from close range before Duran turned his shot against the crossbar and the next post. And it wouldn’t be the last time the goal frame was rocked.
Fredrik Aursnes headed against the post at the other end from what was eventually ruled offside, while Andreas Schjelderup and Tomas Araujo hit the woodwork in the second half, with Duran’s shot against the upright. Good margins at the time – but the difference between these sides was much wider.
Highlights from Lisbon…
4: BENFICA PENALTY! Murray kicks Duran in the back of the leg as he goes for a takedown in a crowded box.
5: GOAL! DURAN WITH PANELS! As cool as you want from the Colombian striker who snarls in the opening.
23: GOAL! It’s lovely from the impressive Prestianni, who lifts a cross into the box for Bah to volley in – but terrible from Tounekt, who goes to sleep and allows Bah to run away from him and into space to convert.
Benfica’s Alexander Bah scores against Celtic
25: SIDE NETWORK! Duran fires the wrong side of the near post and Celtic are on the ropes here.
28: CELTIC SO UNLUCKY! Hogh volleys against the post from Tounekti’s cross before Duran curls another shot against the crossbar and post.
35: OUT OF THE POST! But the offside flag goes up. Duran meets a corner and heads it towards the six-yard box, but Fredrik Aursnes nodded against the post before being ruled offside.
36: GOAL! Trusty tries to point Duran away from goal, but the striker gets a leg around the ball and somehow skips past Sinisalo at his near post.
63: GOAL! Celtic’s Duran pulls one back for the Hoops, heading in Haissem Hassan’s cross.
72: OUT OF THE POST! Sub Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain feeds Duran in the box and he knocks down a left-footed shot from close range!
74: OUT OF THE POST! Andreas Schjelderup is now close to Benfica!
89: GOAL! Pavlidis runs behind and clinically shoots into the net from the edge of the area to make it 4-1.
90: OUT OF THE FRAME AGAIN! Araujo heads Pavlidis’s cross against the crossbar!