Celtic face a stern Europa League test away to a high-flying Benfica side on Thursday night at the Estadio da Luz. The Portuguese giants have won nine of their last ten matches, including a 2-0 victory over AC Milan in their opening group game, and present a formidable challenge for Martin O'Neill's side.

Marco Silva, the 49-year-old Benfica head coach, has warned his opponents of a difficult evening. "Yes, it will be a different game," Silva said, acknowledging the step up in quality from their recent opponents. His team thrashed Hearts 6-1 at home in the first leg of their qualifying tie back in August, underlining their strength on their own ground. Benfica have also won all four of their previous home matches against Celtic, a record the Scottish champions will be desperate to overturn.

Silva's personal connection

The Benfica boss does, however, have a personal connection to Celtic's Callum Osmand. The forward, who moved to Parkhead last year, scored the league-clinching goal against Hearts last season. Silva worked with Osmand during his time in England alongside players like Andy Robertson and Tom Cairney. Osmand is currently recovering from injury and will not feature in Lisbon, but his past success is a point of respect for the opposing manager.

Celtic's contrasting form

Celtic's situation is one of domestic strength but European struggle. They sit top of the Premiership with 21 points from eight games, holding a two-point lead over Rangers. Their latest result was a 2-0 win at Motherwell, with goals from C. Durán and B. Nygren. Durán is the team's top scorer this season with four goals, a key detail in the club's stats.

Their recent form in Europe tells a different story, however. The Hoops have lost three of their last four games, including a 1-3 home defeat to Ferencvaros on matchday one of this competition. Their last five results across all competitions read WLLLW. The team's European challenge is made tougher by their current injury situation, which can be tracked on our dedicated injuries page.

Benfica midfielder Georgiy Sudakov, who played against Celtic for Shakhtar Donetsk as a 19-year-old in 2022, added to the pre-match talk. "Benfica and Celtic looks like a derby," Sudakov said, anticipating a fiercely contested match. With key striker Vangelis Pavlidis in form with 14 goals in 14 games this season, Benfica's threat is clear. Celtic's task is to channel their domestic confidence into a performance that can improve their recent record on the continent. The match kicks off on Thursday night in Lisbon, after which Celtic will prepare for their next domestic fixture, a home match against Aberdeen on Sunday.

Read the full report at Daily Record Football