UEFA Europa League,
League Stage – 2
Benfica
BEN
Celtic
CEL
-
Venue
- Estádio da Luz
-
Referee
- Nikola Dabanovic
Where to Watch Benfica v Celtic: TV and online streams
Benfica versus Celtic kicks off at 8pm BST (8pm local time) on Thursday, October 15 at the Estádio da Luz.
The match is live on TNT Sports 3 in the UK and Ireland.
Preview for Benfica v Celtic
Lisbon holds a special place in Celtic hearts. It’s where the Lisbon Lions became the first British side to lift the European Cup in 1967. This trip, though, is about survival rather than nostalgia, as Martin O’Neill’s side travel to the Estádio da Luz on Thursday night desperately needing points.
Celtic’s European campaign has been nothing short of a nightmare so far. They should be in the Champions League, but they somehow surrendered a four-goal first-leg lead to lose 5-4 on aggregate to LASK in the play-off round. Their Europa League campaign then got off to the worst possible start, with Ferencváros winning 3-1 at Celtic Park on matchday one despite Celtic having 63% of the ball. Mika Baur levelled just before half-time, only for the Hungarian champions to go straight back in front, and former Celt Daniel Arzani wrapped it up soon after the break.
That was the start of a miserable run. Celtic lost to Rangers twice in a week, 3-0 in the League Cup and 1-0 at Celtic Park in the league, and the pressure on O’Neill grew. Sunday’s 2-0 win at Motherwell, which was O’Neill’s 250th victory as Celtic manager, finally gave them some breathing space.
“I think that was really important for us. We had a couple of moments, a few scary moments and we saw it through,” O’Neill said afterwards. “Psychologically I thought that was good for us not to concede.”
Benfica are a different proposition altogether. Marco Silva’s side are only in the Europa League because they missed out on the Champions League, just the second time since 2009 that has happened, and they look like a team who intend to make the most of it. They opened the league phase with a statement win at AC Milan and have been prolific at home, putting six past Hearts and five past St Gallen in qualifying.
Their only real setback this season was a 3-1 defeat away at Porto in O Clássico in September. Benfica have won nine of their last 10 competitive games and scored at least twice in nine of them.
Europa League Table
UEFA Europa League 2026
World
| # | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Last 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Juventus |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 3 |
W
|
| 2 |
Crystal Palace |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 3 |
W
|
| 3 |
Sparta Praha |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
W
|
| 4 |
Beşiktaş |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
W
|
| 5 |
Union St. Gilloise |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
W
|
| 6 |
Ferencvarosi TC |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
W
|
| 7 |
Benfica |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
W
|
| 8 |
Bayer Leverkusen |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
W
|
| 9 |
OFI |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
W
|
| 10 |
Bournemouth |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
W
|
| 11 |
Lyon |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
W
|
| 12 |
Torreense |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
W
|
| 13 |
Olympiakos Piraeus |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
W
|
| 14 |
Red Bull Salzburg |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
W
|
| 15 |
Sunderland |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
W
|
| 16 |
Omonia Nicosia |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
W
|
| 17 |
Sturm Graz |
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
D
|
| 18 |
Rennes |
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
D
|
| 19 |
Dinamo Zagreb |
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
D
|
| 20 |
Hapoel Beer Sheva |
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
D
|
| 21 |
Jagiellonia |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0 |
L
|
| 22 |
Real Sociedad |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0 |
L
|
| 23 |
Anderlecht |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0 |
L
|
| 24 |
Lillestrom |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0 |
L
|
| 25 |
Celta Vigo |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
L
|
| 26 |
AZ Alkmaar |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
L
|
| 27 |
Levski Sofia |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
L
|
| 28 |
Celtic |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 0 |
L
|
| 29 |
1899 Hoffenheim |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0 |
L
|
| 30 |
AC Milan |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0 |
L
|
| 31 |
Celje |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0 |
L
|
| 32 |
Marseille |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -3 | 0 |
L
|
| 33 |
Ararat-Armenia |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -3 | 0 |
L
|
| 34 |
Plzen |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 0 |
L
|
| 35 |
Lech Poznan |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | -4 | 0 |
L
|
| 36 |
NEC Nijmegen |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | -5 | 0 |
L
|
- Position 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 : Promotion – Europa League (Play Offs: 1/8-finals)
- Position 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 : Promotion – Europa League (Play Offs: 1/16-finals)
Team News for Benfica v Celtic
Benfica are without Jakub Kamiński, who scored at San Siro on matchday one but picked up an adductor injury on international duty with Poland. Midfielder Enzo Barrenechea is also sidelined.
The good news for Silva is that Vangelis Pavlidis is fit and in phenomenal form. The Greek striker has 14 goals in 14 games this season and will lead the line again, with Dodi Lukébakio, Gianluca Prestianni and Andreas Schjelderup expected to support him.
For Celtic, the big concern is Cameron Carter-Vickers. The vice-captain missed the Motherwell win with a strain, and the club’s medical team have warned O’Neill that Thursday may come too soon. If he misses out, Dane Murray is expected to continue alongside Liam Scales after impressing at Fir Park, with Auston Trusty the other option.
Alistair Johnston and Yang Hyun-jun are unavailable, and Callum Osmand is a doubt with an ankle injury.
Expected line-ups for Benfica v Celtic
Benfica: Trubin; Bah, Araújo, Circati, Dahl; Palhinha, Aursnes; Lukébakio, Prestianni, Schjelderup; Pavlidis
Celtic: Sinisalo; Donovan, Murray, Scales, Tierney; McGregor, Baur; Durán, Nygren, Tounekti; Høgh
Stats for Benfica v Celtic
- Benfica have won nine of their last 10 competitive matches, scoring at least twice in nine of them.
- Benfica are unbeaten in their last 11 Europa League league-phase or group-stage games (W8 D3).
- Vangelis Pavlidis has scored 14 goals in 14 games in all competitions this season.
- Celtic have lost three of their last four games in all competitions.
- Celtic have kept just two clean sheets in their last 29 Europa League main-draw matches.
Prediction for Benfica v Celtic
Celtic often defy the odds in Europe but this looks a very difficult task against a Benfica side that look stronger all over the pitch.
Match Prediction
Benfica
Celtic
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