Celtic lost 4-1 to Benfica in Lisbon, and I am certainly not going to pretend that losing by three goals is something to celebrate.

Benfica were always going to be difficult opponents, and the first half reminded us exactly why. Celtic made mistakes, Benfica punished them, and by half-time the game looked as though it might become extremely unpleasant.

But something interesting happened after the break.

Celtic changed, not enough to rescue the result obviously, but enough to make me sit forward and start paying attention to something other than the scoreline. Haissem Hassan came on, Callum Osmand came on, and suddenly Celtic looked quicker, more direct and much more dangerous in the wide areas.

That matters to me because Celtic have spent far too much of this season looking predictable. I have complained repeatedly about watching players receive the ball in wide positions, look at the defender in front of them and immediately decide that going backwards is the safest option.

Hassan does not play that way. He wants to attack, take people on and get into dangerous areas. Most importantly, he looks as though he believes something might actually happen when he gets there. What an extraordinary concept!

In my opinion, Hassan is beginning to look like the most naturally dangerous right-sided attacker Celtic have had available for some time. He has pace, confidence and that willingness to attack defenders which immediately changes how the opposition has to think.

A defender facing somebody who constantly passes backwards can relax. A defender facing Hassan has to worry about whether he goes outside, cuts inside, shoots or creates something for somebody else. That uncertainty creates space, and Celtic desperately need more players capable of creating uncertainty.

Hassan is beginning to produce as well. He is getting shots on target, creating chances and supplying assists. His ball for Camilo Durán’s goal against Benfica was exactly the kind of contribution I want from a Celtic winger: positive, direct and productive.

Now I want to see whether he can add goals to his own game, because if he does that consistently then Celtic may have a seriously useful attacking player on their hands. I cannot see why he should not be given the opportunity to prove it.

Then there is Callum Osmand, who interests me for slightly different reasons. Osmand has pace, obviously, but what caught my attention was his instinct to move towards the penalty area with the ball.

He does not seem interested in simply occupying a patch of grass near the touchline because somebody told him that is where a winger is supposed to stand. He wants to attack space, move inside and put defenders under pressure. That immediately gives Celtic another dimension.

I am not suggesting that one good second-half appearance suddenly makes him an automatic starter. That would be ridiculous. But when somebody comes into a team which has looked stale and immediately brings energy, movement and directness, surely the manager has to take notice.

My verdict is fairly simple here: when somebody provides you with a different answer to the problem, perhaps you should at least read it before returning to the same old solution. It really is not terribly complicated.

The difference in Celtic after half-time was obvious. The first half had been poor, with Benfica exploiting our weaknesses and punishing mistakes ruthlessly. Celtic looked vulnerable defensively and, for long periods, struggled to impose themselves.

After the changes, however, we carried a threat. Durán scored, Celtic hit the woodwork, we created chances and the attacking players looked as though they were trying to hurt Benfica rather than merely survive against them.

That does not erase what happened at the other end. It does not make a 4-1 defeat acceptable, and it certainly does not mean Celtic’s problems suddenly disappeared because two young attackers gave us an encouraging second half.

But football is supposed to teach you things, and I think this game taught Martin O’Neill something worth remembering. Celtic look better when they have players in wide areas who actually attack. We look better when there is movement and when defenders are being forced backwards instead of being allowed to stand comfortably and watch Celtic recycle possession in front of them.

Hassan and Osmand gave us that, and that is why I refuse to come away from Lisbon talking only about the scoreline. Of course I am disappointed. I wanted Celtic to win, and I would have happily taken the ugliest victory imaginable and spent the rest of the evening pretending it was a tactical masterpiece.

But when you lose, you have to learn something from it. There were things in that second half worth learning from.

Camilo Durán continues to give O’Neill a decision to make up front because he is scoring goals. Hassan is making an increasingly strong argument for regular football on the right, and Osmand has now given the manager something to think about on the other side.

That creates competition, and Celtic need it. For too long this season, too many positions have looked predictable. Players know they will probably start regardless of what happens because there are not enough alternatives pushing them.

That is not healthy. If Hassan keeps creating chances, somebody else should have to fight to get that shirt back. If Osmand keeps producing performances like that, he should receive more opportunities.

There is also something psychologically important about having attackers who actually want to take responsibility. You can see it when they receive the ball. Some players look immediately for somewhere safe to put it, while others look at the defender and think: I can beat you.

Celtic need more of the second kind. That bravery changes games, changes the crowd, changes the tempo and changes how opponents defend against you.

So no, I am not celebrating a 4-1 defeat. There is plenty about Celtic’s performance in Lisbon which deserves criticism, particularly defensively, and there are problems in this squad which one improved half will not solve.

But I saw something I liked. I saw two wide players arrive and immediately make Celtic look more dangerous. I saw Hassan create Durán’s goal, I saw Osmand attack defenders instead of treating them like armed security guards protecting the entrance to the penalty area, and I saw Celtic play with greater energy and purpose.

That is worth remembering. The challenge now belongs to Martin O’Neill: do not simply admire what happened after half-time and then put everything back the way it was.

Use it. Give Hassan the opportunity to make that right side his own and give Osmand more chances to show whether that second-half performance was the beginning of something.

Because although Lisbon gave Celtic another disappointing European result, it may also have given the manager two attacking answers he badly needed. Now let us see whether he is willing to use them.

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