Benfica makes it two wins from two in Europe
Benfica defeated Celtic 4–1 at the Estádio da Luz on October 15 to record a second consecutive victory in the 2026–27 UEFA Europa League. Jhon Durán scored twice before halftime, with Alexander Bah and Vangelis Pavlidis also on target for the hosts.
The Portuguese side took control almost immediately. Dane Murray’s challenge on Durán led to a penalty, and the forward converted in the fifth minute. Celtic briefly threatened a response when Kasper Høgh forced a save from Anatoliy Trubin, but Benfica continued to create the more damaging openings.
Bah made it 2–0 in the 23rd minute after a cross from Gianluca Prestianni. Durán then added his second in the 36th minute, sending Benfica into the interval with a three-goal cushion.
Celtic improved after the break and reduced the deficit through Camilo Durán in the 63rd minute. The visitors could not turn that goal into a sustained comeback, and Pavlidis completed the scoring in the 89th minute.
The result followed Benfica’s 2–0 win away to AC Milan in the opening round. Two victories leave it with six points from two league-phase games, with six goals scored and one conceded across those fixtures.
For Celtic, the second-half response offered some resistance after a difficult opening period, but the final score left it without a point from its first two games. Benfica’s three first-half goals had already established an advantage that the Scottish side was unable to overcome.