· 2 min readIn this Benfica vs Celtic match, I analyse the key tactical moments, individual performances and turning points of the game.
Benfica came into the second round of the Europa League after beating Milan away from home, and there were reasons to believe they could win again. Celtic were top of the Scottish league, but away from their usual surroundings, they did not look as threatening. Benfica made that clear very early on.
In the third minute, Dane Murray caught Jhon Durán on the leg inside the box and the referee awarded a penalty. The Colombian stepped up and scored a perfect Panenka, completely fooling Sinisalo. It was a dream start for Benfica, who continued to attack down the left, mainly through Prestianni.
In the 22nd minute, the Argentine made the difference again. After a good passing move, he found space and crossed to the far post, where Bah was free to finish. Benfica were finding solutions with ease, but Celtic also showed they could be dangerous.
In the 28th minute, Høgh hit the post and, from the rebound, Camilo Durán struck the far post. Two serious warnings that Benfica’s defence was lucky to survive.
The response was immediate. In the 36th minute, Prestianni found Jhon Durán with a through ball. The striker controlled the ball, held off his opponent, created space with a simple dribble and fired a low shot into the net to make it 3-0. The Colombian’s second goal and Prestianni’s second assist. The Argentine was unstoppable, winning almost every duel against Colby Donovan.
At half-time, Benfica had 12 shots compared to Celtic’s six and a comfortable lead, although the Scottish side had created enough danger to deserve more than their 0.55 expected goals.
The second half started with Benfica keeping possession, but they were no longer as good at controlling their opponents. In the 63rd minute, Celtic pulled one back. A cross from the right found Camilo Durán, who got away from Lenglet and headed the ball into the net. Benfica’s defence once again showed problems protecting the box. Ten minutes later, Camilo Durán appeared in the middle, took advantage of Benfica’s poor positioning and hit the post. He was clearly Celtic’s main threat.
The game became more open, with space for both sides. Schjelderup also hit the post in the 74th minute, before Prestianni forced an excellent save from Sinisalo two minutes later. Benfica could have settled the game in the 78th minute, but Pavlidis, under pressure inside the box, failed to hit the target despite having a good chance to score. It was an opportunity he could not afford to miss in a game that was still not over.
In the final minutes, Benfica finally managed to slow Celtic down and found space again. In the 89th minute, Pavlidis made up for his mistake. A good run opened up space, the striker received the ball in behind, cut inside and fired home to make it 4-1, leaving Sinisalo with no chance. There was still time for another shot to hit the crossbar in stoppage time.
Post-match
The result confirms a good European night for Benfica, with Prestianni standing out and Jhon Durán playing a decisive role.
