Benfica aim to extend winning run as Celtic visit in Europa League

Benfica will put a run of nine wins from their last 10 matches on the line when Celtic arrive at the Estadio da Luz on Thursday for Europa League Matchday 2.

Benfica target another European step forward

Marco Silva’s side go into the league-phase fixture after a 2-0 domestic victory over Vitoria de Guimaraes and with striker Vangelis Pavlidis in outstanding scoring form. The Greece international has registered 14 goals in 14 appearances this season.

Silva has warned Benfica not to expect a straightforward evening, with Celtic seeking a response after losing their opening Europa League match.

• Benfica have won nine of their past 10 games in all competitions.
• Pavlidis has scored 14 times in 14 matches this term.
• Celtic began their Europa League campaign with a defeat.
• The match takes place on Thursday night in Lisbon.

“Getting points will be very important,” Silva said. “Celtic did not begin the competition well and they will want to put that right, so we have to perform at our best.”

Silva respects Celtic threat

The Benfica coach described Celtic as a major European name with the ability to turn the contest into a difficult one, regardless of their recent results.

“Celtic are a big club with great European tradition,” Silva said. “They can cause problems for opponents and they compete right through to the end.”

He also expects a different tactical challenge from the one Benfica faced at the weekend, insisting his players must make adjustments to preserve their momentum.

“We can improve and raise our level in another competition against another opponent,” Silva added. “We know what has to be corrected, and this game requires a different plan.”

Celtic seek response after uneven run

Martin O’Neill’s Celtic ended a difficult spell by beating Motherwell 2-0, but that result followed three defeats in four matches. Their task is made tougher by Benfica’s formidable home record in this fixture.

• Celtic have lost three of their previous four matches.
• Their most recent outing ended in a 2-0 win over Motherwell.
• Celtic have been beaten in each of their four previous visits to Benfica in Portugal.

Midfielder Georgiy Sudakov, who faced Celtic while playing for Shakhtar Donetsk four years ago, expects the supporters to play a major part in the occasion.

“Benfica and Celtic are both huge clubs, so it should be a very interesting match,” Sudakov said. “I do not like discussing favourites, but we will do everything possible to make our supporters happy.”

He added: “When I played Celtic with Shakhtar, I saw the atmosphere their fans produce. They are a great club with great supporters, as Benfica are.”

What happens next

Benfica can strengthen their position in the Europa League league phase with a home win, while Celtic need a result in Lisbon to quickly recover from their opening-match setback.