O'Neill defiant in defeat but Celtic's 'flat-track bullies' fail another big test

What the report says

Celtic’s 4-1 defeat by Benfica in Lisbon left Martin O’Neill defending his team’s outlook despite another damaging night in Europe. The BBC Sport report says Celtic fell behind early after defensive mistakes and were three goals down before their performance improved. The loss means the Scottish champions have now lost both of their Europa League group matches and four of their last five games, including both league matches against Rangers.

O’Neill said the second-half display showed enough for Celtic to believe they can still reach the knockout stage, while captain Callum McGregor accepted the first-half errors made the task too difficult. Benfica also struck the woodwork twice, underlining the size of Celtic’s challenge. The result left Celtic low in the standings after two games, adding pressure on a team already struggling to find consistency in major fixtures.

The article also highlights wider concerns about Celtic’s squad balance. Injuries have weakened the defence, and summer signing Kasper Hogh again struggled to make an impact before half-time. By contrast, Colombian forward Duran was praised for his movement and threat after the break. Former player Chris Sutton criticised Celtic as “flat-track bullies,” reflecting frustration that the side has not yet translated domestic promise into stronger results in major matches.