Celtic manager Martin O'Neill chose to focus on the second-half positives from his side's 4-1 Europa League defeat by Benfica and insisted they can still reach the knockout stages despite their slow start.
In stark contrast, Chris Sutton branded his former side as "flat-track bullies".
Celtic have lost four of their past five games.
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Celtic → choose → games
Every high-stakes match this term - both meetings with Rangers and both European outings - has ended in a defeat.
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match → end → defeat
By the time their performance improved in Lisbon on Thursday, they were three goals down and effectively already out of the contest, hamstrung by their own sloppy mistakes.
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they → improve → mistakes
Dane Murray upended Jhon Duran to concede a penalty inside four minutes, an error which characterised the first 45 minutes.
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which → upend → minutes
Sebastian Tounekti then allowed Alexander Bah to run past him for Benfica's second and goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo was beaten too easily as Duran scored the hosts' third.
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Duran → allow → third
Camilo Duran pulled one back after the break and struck a post as the Scottish champions improved, but Vangelis Pavlidis struck Benfica's fourth late on to kill any faint Celtic hopes.
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Pavlidis → pull → hopes
"Last thing you want to do is concede so early on," O'Neill said.
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O'Neill → want → ?
"We could've capitulated, but I thought the second-half performance was terrific.
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performance → capitulate → ?
We created chance after chance.
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We → create → chance
"The second-half performance gives me the determination...
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performance → give → determination
I think we can still qualify.
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we → think → ?
We can still do it.
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We → do → it
"We came roaring back.
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We → come → ?
We could've scored a number of goals.
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We → score → goals
I accept on the break they could have scored themselves, as they did with their fourth goal."
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they → accept → goal
Even the most ardent Celtic supporters would struggle to share their manager's optimism given they sit 34th of 36 teams in the competition after two games.
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they → struggle → games
Captain Callum McGregor admitted Celtic were masters of their own downfall in the first half.
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Celtic → admit → half
"First half we didn't help ourselves," he told TNT Sports.
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he → help → Sports
"Unforced errors lead to the second and third goals and you have a mountain to climb.
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you → lead → mountain
"We know at this level if you don't look after the ball you're going to get punished."
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you → know → ball
'I'd pick Duran over Hogh every day of the week'
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I → pick → week
Although Celtic conceded four, the scoreline did not flatter Benfica.
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scoreline → concede → Benfica
The Portuguese side created chances aplenty in both halves and hit the woodwork twice in addition to their four goals.
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side → create → goals
Celtic's lack of depth in defence was exposed once again in the absence of the injured Cameron Carter-Vickers as Gianluca Prestianni and Duran tormented the visitors' back four.
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Prestianni → expose → four
However, it is in forward areas where O'Neill perhaps has his biggest headache.
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O'Neill → have → headache
Club record signing Kasper Hogh was hooked at half-time and has now failed to score in 10 of his first 11 outings since joining from Bodo/Glimt in the summer.
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Hogh → hook → summer
Duran shifted inside for the second half and posed far more of a threat than his Danish team-mate.
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Duran → shift → mate
"If I'm a creative midfield player and I've got Duran and Hogh to pick from, I'm taking Duran every day of the week," former Celtic midfielder Scott Allan said.
"
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Allan → get → week
He looks to get off the side of defenders, if you put a ball in the area, he's more likely to be alive to it.
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he → look → it
"Hogh just isn't firing on all cylinders.
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Hogh → fire → cylinders
I can take that if he's doing the other side of the game a lot better than he is.
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he → take → game
"You can see why Martin O'Neill made the substitution at half-time and there's no doubt Celtic looked much better going forward."
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Celtic → see → time
O'Neill admitted he sees Duran as being better through the middle, when asked about his Colombian talisman post-match, but given Hogh's price tag he might not be inclined to pull him out of the firing line just yet.
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he → admit → line
"[Duran] has played wide at his previous clubs," O'Neill said.
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O'Neill → play → clubs
"But I personally feel his best position is through the middle.
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position → feel → middle
"It's now a matter of us trying to fit him in and I think we can do that.
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we → try → that
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