Benfica followed up their Champions League win over Spartak Moscow with a 1-0 win away to Rio Ave on Sunday.
Brazilian striker Lima dos Santos scored his sixth goal of the season to give the visitors full points to stay level with Porto at the top of the table with 23 points from seven matches.
Celtic’s next Champions League opponents have now won four matches in a row since losing to Spartak in Moscow.
On Thursday they will get a further boost with the return of defender Luisão from a two month suspension for striking a referee during a pre-season match against Fortuna Dusseldorf.
Benfica face Moreirense on Friday night with coach Jesus Jorge having to decide whether or not to bring Luisão back into his team.
In the absence of Luisão Jorge has turned to Jardel to step into the centre of defence with four clean sheets picked up in the four match winning run.
Looking ahead to the remaining Champions League fixtures Jorge said: “We must beat Celtic to have a chance of qualifying when we go to Barcelona, it’s not a certainty that Celtic will win at home to Spartak.
“After our first match at Celtic I felt that they could score from set-pieces against Barcelona and that’s what happened.
“We have a big match coming up against Celtic and can only think about that not the other complications of the group. After beating Spartak we have a chance that we have to take.”
CLICK HERE for which of Lenny’s Lions would make the Seville side
Follow Video Celts on Twitter and Facebook
We have a huge task ahead in taking something from the Benfica game, still bitterly regret not pushing for a winner in the home game.
Barcelona will have qualified by the time they meet Benfica at home and will clearly rest most of their players.
It will be hugely disappointing if the win over Barcelona does not see us through to the last 16. At least it is in our own hands but I think it will come down to the wire possibly goal difference. Most certainly we must score in Lisbon.
CL would be fantastic, but equally an extended run in the Europa League would give us even more experience.
If we get a score draw and barca win next week we go through. CL goes on a head to head basis first so can only go to goal difference if we draw nil nil in Lisbon.
With our performances in Europe this season I have no reason to doubt we can’t beat anyone over two legs…no one is going to fancy getting us IF we progress to knockout stages. Winning a tie in the knockout stages will give us more expierence confidance and belief than if we were to do well in the Europa League.