Liam Scales says Feyenoord victory gives Celtic confidence ahead of Benfica test

Liam Scales believes Celtic can draw confidence from their impressive victory over Feyenoord last season as they prepare for another demanding Europa League assignment away to Benfica.

Martin O’Neill’s side will travel to Portugal on Thursday knowing they desperately need a positive result after a disappointing start to their European campaign.

Celtic had hoped to immediately respond to their Champions League play-off disappointment against LASK, but those plans suffered another setback before the international break when they were beaten 3-1 at home by Ferencvaros.

The defeat left O’Neill’s team still searching for their first points in the competition, with the trip to Benfica representing another major challenge.

Scales recognises the difficulty Celtic face against Marco Silva’s team and admits that playing Benfica away from home is among the toughest assignments available to them in the Europa League.

However, the defender believes Celtic’s previous performance against Feyenoord provides evidence that they can compete at that level when they produce their best football.

Celtic defender Liam Scales believes his side can get a result away to Benfica on Thursday

Yang Hyun-jun (right) and Luke McCowan celebrate a win in Feyenoord last November

“Listen, it doesn’t get much more difficult in the Europa League than this next one. Benfica away is a tough, tough game,” the Irish defender said.

Scales accepts that Celtic have plenty to prove in Europe, particularly after their disappointing results so far this season.

He believes the team must improve significantly if they are to avoid another difficult night on the continent.

The defender pointed to Celtic’s 3-1 victory over Feyenoord last season as an example of the level they can reach.

Celtic produced one of their most impressive European performances when they travelled to the Netherlands and defeated Feyenoord, and Scales believes that display should provide the players with confidence before facing Benfica.

“We went to Feyenoord last season and showed that night what we can do, so we can try and replicate how we played in that game,” he explained.

For Scales, that match remains an important reference point whenever Celtic prepare for difficult European fixtures.

Kasper Schmeichel celebrates Celtic’s win in the Netherlands against Feyenoord

He believes the performance demonstrated that Celtic have the ability to cause problems for highly regarded opponents when they play with confidence, discipline and intensity.

“That was really, really good that night, so that’s what we will be hoping to do,” he added.

Celtic sense fresh optimism

Scales also believes the mood inside the Celtic squad has improved significantly following a difficult period before the international break.

Celtic had endured a miserable run that included two defeats against Rangers and the home loss to Ferencvaros. However, they responded strongly at the weekend by defeating Motherwell 2-0 at Fir Park.

The victory not only restored some confidence but also returned Celtic to the top of the domestic table.

Scales believes the international break gave the squad an opportunity to reset mentally and reconnect with the principles O’Neill wants them to follow.

The players and coaching staff held a meeting after returning from international duty, where they reviewed their approach and discussed the standards expected from the team.

“We all got back in last week and had a meeting. We went through all our principles and how we want to be,” Scales revealed.

He also noticed a strong sense of enthusiasm from O’Neill as the manager prepared his squad for the demanding run of matches ahead.

Scales said the manager appeared particularly excited when the coaching staff reviewed footage showing Celtic performing at their best.

“You could tell how excited he was for this next spell of games,” the defender said.

The team watched clips highlighting their strongest performances, something Scales believes gave both the players and coaching staff renewed belief.

“We know where we can get to as well. It’s just a case of doing it now,” he added.

International break provides confidence boost

Celtic’s squad also received a psychological lift from the performances of several players during the international break.

Camilo Duran scored early in Celtic’s 2-0 win over Motherwell on Sunday

Mika Baur earned his first Germany appearance, while Camilo Duran made his Colombia debut.

Scales believes those achievements were significant for the players and that their international experiences helped boost confidence across the Celtic squad.

He feels the increased belief was visible during the victory over Motherwell, with several players returning from international duty looking sharper and more confident.

“I feel players went away and enjoyed their couple of weeks and have come back with more confidence. I felt that was noticeable on Sunday,” Scales said.

The defender highlighted the significance of seeing young Celtic players making their international debuts for major football nations.

“We have young lads making their debuts for teams like Germany and Colombia which is incredible,” he said.

According to Scales, the international break arrived at an important moment because Celtic had just experienced a particularly difficult run.

He believes the time away from club football allowed the players to clear their heads and return with a renewed sense of purpose.

“I think the break boosted the mood, and it was needed,” he explained.

“It was a tough, tough week before the international break.”

Now, however, Celtic face a demanding period in which fixtures are coming rapidly, giving the players an immediate opportunity to turn their improved mood into results.

Motherwell victory restores confidence

Celtic’s 2-0 success at Fir Park was secured through goals from Duran and Benjamin Nygren.

The result returned O’Neill’s side to the summit of the domestic table and provided an important response after their disappointing results against Rangers and Ferencvaros.

Scales was pleased with almost every aspect of Celtic’s performance and felt the team had rediscovered the football they wanted to play.

“I feel we were good all over the pitch,” he said.

The clean sheet was particularly encouraging for the defender, who believes Celtic’s control of possession helped limit Motherwell’s opportunities.

He explained that Celtic kept the ball effectively, preventing their opponents from creating too many attacking situations.

Scales also felt Celtic could have scored more goals, given the number of opportunities they created.

“We kept possession well before cutting through them. We created a lot of chances and could probably have scored a few more goals and made things a lot easier for ourselves,” he said.

Despite that, he was delighted with the overall performance.

Results hurt more than criticism

Celtic had faced considerable criticism during their difficult run, but Scales insisted that the players did not need outside commentary to understand how disappointing the results had been.

The three consecutive defeats in important matches had affected the squad deeply.

“What’s hurt has been the results. That’s what hurts more than anything,” Scales said.

He explained that the players were already fully aware of the disappointment and did not need to hear criticism from outside sources to understand the seriousness of the situation.

“We know ourselves and don’t need to even hear the criticism to feel the disappointment and hurt. We already feel that,” he added.

Scales believes the international break allowed the players to recover mentally and return with greater confidence.

The improvement was visible during the Motherwell performance, and he hopes Celtic can carry that momentum into their European challenge.

Jota’s return provides another boost

Although Jota is not included in Celtic’s European squad, his return from a lengthy injury absence has provided another source of encouragement.

The Portuguese winger came off the bench against Motherwell after spending around 18 months away from competitive football.

Scales was delighted to see the popular attacker back on the pitch and believes his presence can provide Celtic with another important lift.

“He’s obviously shown how good he is over the two spells here. We have missed him for a long time,” Scales said.

The defender believes Jota brings an immediate sense of excitement whenever he receives possession.

“He’s had to work really hard to get back and it’s probably taken longer than he’d have hoped,” Scales added.

However, seeing him finally return was a major positive for everyone connected with Celtic.

Now Scales hopes Jota can continue progressing, while Celtic attempt to transform their renewed confidence into another memorable European performance against Benfica.