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Benfica will take on Celtic in the Europa League on Thursday, 15 October, with the visitors looking to avoid another humiliating away night in Europe.
The trip to Lisbon is a special one for Celtic as it was the scene of their 1967 European Cup triumph, and the current crop of players will be looking to do the Lisbon Lions justice this evening.
Read our prediction, preview and betting tips for the game below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
Benfica vs Celtic key stats
- Benfica have won four of their last six matches to nil.
- Celtic have lost three of their last four matches in all competitions.
- More than two goals have been scored in each of Celtic's last three European matches.
Benfica vs Celtic preview: More misery on the horizon for the Bhoys
Benfica vs Celtic — Tale of the Tape
| Benfica | vs | Celtic |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd (Primeira Liga) | Position | 1st (Scottish Premiership) |
| 19 | Points | 21 |
| 24 | Goals For | 16 |
| 7 | Goals Against | 4 |
| 4 | Clean Sheets | 4 |
| 3rd | Home / Away Rank | 1st |
Benfica will be delighted by the prospect of playing another Scottish side this season after they put six past Hearts during the qualification rounds for the Europa League.
While Celtic should pose more of a threat than Hearts did, there isn't an awful lot in it, which will concern Martin O'Neill, the Celtic players and their supporters.
The hosts come into the match on the back of a decent start to the season. After eight matches in Portugal, they are in second place, having won six, drawn one and lost one. In the Europa League, they recorded an impressive 2-0 win over AC Milan at San Siro on matchday one.
Now managed by former Fulham boss Marco Silva, the aim this season is to win the Primeira Liga and to go deep in the Europa League, so they will be looking to flex their muscles on Thursday to send a further message to the rest of the competition.
Silva has a near-fully fit squad to select from this week, with Enzo Barrenechea and Jakub Kaminski his only absentees.
As for Celtic, there will be plenty of trepidation in the air after how their European matches have gone so far this season.
There is an argument that the club have yet to properly recover from the 5-1 defeat to LASK in Champions League qualifying, and this was compounded by a 3-1 defeat to Ferencvaros at Celtic Park on matchday one of the Europa League.
Not only was that defeat bad for morale, but it also leaves them with an uphill route to the knockout rounds. If they lose to Benfica, as expected, they will have six games to secure 10 or more points, which is no easy task.
Martin O'Neill, who flirted with the idea of quitting during the recent international break, has more injuries to deal with than his opposite number, with Cameron Carter-Vickers, Alistair Johnston, Yang Hyun-Jun and Callum Osmand all out.
Benfica vs Celtic form guide & betting tips
| Benfica | vs | Celtic |
|---|---|---|
WWWLW |
Form | WLLLW |
| 12 | Goals For | 4 |
| 4 | Goals Against | 7 |
W |
UEFA Europa League | L |
Whispers predicts: Benfica 3-0 Celtic
Benfica have the firepower to put Celtic to the sword here, just as Ferencvaros and LASK did earlier in the season. Benfica to win with a -2.5 handicap has been best priced at 13/8.
More than two goals have been scored in eight of Benfica's last 10 matches. Over 2.5 goals has been priced at 1/2.
Vangelis Pavlidis has already scored 14 goals in all competitions for Benfica this season. Pavlidis to score anytime has been best priced at 1/2.
> Benfica to win with a -2.5 handicap at 13/8 (2.63) | Likelihood: Medium
> Over 2.5 goals at 1/2 (1.50) | Likelihood: High
> Pavlidis to score anytime at 1/2 (1.50) | Likelihood: High