Martin O’Neill praised Haissem Hassan and Callum Osmand after Celtic’s improved second-half showing in the 4-1 defeat to Benfica.

Celtic had hit the woodwork through Kasper Høgh and Camilo Durán before the break, but the defending was too loose and Benfica punished them whenever the game opened up.

O’Neill made two changes at half-time, sending on Hassan and Osmand for Høgh and Sebastian Tounekti.

Hassan gave Celtic more pace and direct running down the right, while Osmand offered movement in behind and helped stretch Benfica in a way Celtic had not managed often enough in the first half.

Speaking to TNT Sports, O’Neill said: “It changed because two wide players wanted to get out of people, really did want to get out of people.

“Hassan has that ability to do this here, and little Osmand, who’s just back from injury, hasn’t played really wide there at all. Thought he did terrifically well.

“Maybe he could have squared one for Durán to maybe make it 3-2 in the game. That would have been really interesting in the last 15 minutes of the match.”

That was the moment that could have changed the final stages.

Osmand got in behind and went for goal, but Camilo Durán was waiting in the middle.

At 3-2, Benfica would have had something to think about.

O’Neill also expanded on the same point when speaking to BBC Sport after the match.

He said: “Those players coming on give us the real impetus. We were taking people on and causing them problems.”

Hassan eventually created Celtic’s goal, beating his man before putting the ball into the box for Durán to head home.

It was a bright cameo from the Egyptian, who looked far more willing to run directly at Benfica than Celtic’s starting wide players had managed before the break.

Osmand also gave Celtic something different.

None of that changes the result.

Celtic were already too far behind by the time the game turned, and Benfica still had enough quality to score a fourth through Vangelis Pavlidis late on.

But O’Neill will have seen enough from Hassan and Osmand to give him a decision before Sunday’s league match against Hearts.

Celtic need more pace and more bravery in wide areas, and both substitutes showed why they should be in the conversation.