Celtic's Champions League aspirations were given a huge boost with a convincing 3-0 home win over Benfica.
A second-half double by Kenny Miller, and a late strike by substitute Stephen Pearson, on moments earlier for Evander Sno, was just reward for an impressive display from the home side who dominated almost from the first whistle.
The Hoops are now second in Group F behind Manchester United with six points and will travel to Lisbon in a fortnight knowing a win would virtually seal their qualification into the knock-out stages for the first time.
And on this performance, the Glasgow giants have nothing to fear from a visit to the city where they won the European Cup in 1967.
Celtic stormed into attack almost straight from the kick-off and in the second minute they almost took the lead.
A Paul Telfer throw-in from the right was headed on by Maciej Zurawski at the front post but Shaun Maloney's spectacular volley from close range was brilliantly tipped over the bar by Benfica keeper Quim.
The Portuguese wobbled for a few moments as the Hoops tried to press home their advantage and with Kenny Miller and Zurawski looking particularly sharp.
Benfica tried to make some headway of their own but Miccoli's shot from distance, which went well wide of the target, smacked of early desperation rather than confidence.
At the other end, as the home side resumed their pressure, Hoops defender Lee Naylor had a drive blocked by sheer numbers in the Benfica penalty area.
Celtic were in complete control while the visitors simply tried to catch their breath during the onslaught.
Benfica broke in the 15th minute but that unconvincing attack faltered when midfielder Konstantinos Katsouranis drove wildly over from fully 30 yards out.
The tempo of the game barely dropped as the first-half continued but there were signs that the Portuguese side were settling into the contest.
Just before the half-hour mark, a neat attack by the Portuguese side, their best work in the game, ended when Nuno Assis fired his shot from 20 yards wide of Celtic keeper Artur Boruc's right-hand post.
The first signs of frustration from the Hoops fans followed shortly after and when Boruc had to rush from his goal to foil Simao, who had beaten the home side's offside trap, most of Celtic Park growled.
As the interval approached the visitors visibly grew in confidence and began cutting through the Celtic midfield with clever passing movements although Boruc remained mostly a spectator.
A cross-cum-shot by Naylor in the 39th minute had Quim tipping over for a corner but again Benfica, with the help of towering defender Luisao, defended the set-piece.
But moments later Benfica missed their best chance of the game when Katsouranis, unmarked 14 yards from goal, headed wide from a Leo cross.
Benfica would have been the happier side to hear referee Eric Braamhaar's whistle to end a frantic first 45 minutes although the Portuguese side had showed signs that they had plenty still to offer this game.
Neither manager made changes at the interval and the home side started brightly again, Miller being crowded out as he shaped to shoot inside the Benfica penalty area only seconds after the restart.
But in the 48th minute at the other end, when Celtic defender Gary Caldwell fouled Gomes 25 yards out, Simao flashed the resultant free-kick a yard wide.
Celtic raced up the other end and won a corner, Shunsuke Nakamura's effort being punched clear from under the bar by Quim but again Benfica survived.
As Celtic pressed valiantly and Benfica defended stoically, exasperation levels increased among the home support.
However, in the 55th minute the Hoops got the deserved breakthrough after Maloney sent Naylor scurrying down the left-hand side.
The Hoops' defender cut the ball back to Shunsuke Nakamura whose wayward shot from the edge of the penalty-area was re-directed on target by Miller from close range.
Parkhead exploded in joy but moments later, as Benfica came out of their shell, a 25-yard shot from Assis crashed off the Celtic crossbar before rebounding clear.
The Portuguese knew they had to change their cautious approach if they were to keep their Champions League hopes realistic and the game opened up for the first time.
Celtic went all out for the second goal and Benfica looked fragile at times while retaining an element of danger in the counter-attack.
But in the 65th minute it was the home side who capitalised on the counter with Miller grabbing his second.
The Hoops broke quickly following a Benfica corner and when Maloney put the Scotland striker through on goal, he calmly slipped the ball past Quim from 16 yards out.
There was a sense that the bedraggled visitors had lost most of their belief, exemplified by Simao's lazy volley in the 78th minute which flew high over the bar.
The home side played more conservatively in the dying stages looking to hold on to their two-goal lead although Leo caused momentary panic when his shot from 20 yards flew inches past Boruc's right-hand post.
But in the 89th minute Pearson, on moments earlier for Sno, grabbed the third.
Nakamura's angled shot had been blocked by Quim before the midfielder sent it straight back past the Portuguese keeper from 16 yards out.
