Camilo Duran had no paternity leave as the Celtic striker jetted to Lisbon just hours after becoming a dad for the second time. Martin O'Neill allowed his main man to remain in Scotland as wife Valentina Jaramillo gave birth to the couple's second child on Wednesday. But rather than watch the Europa League clash with Benfica on his iPad from the maternity ward, Duran caught the next flight to the Portuguese capital to rejoin the squad.
Whirlwind 24 hours ends in consolation goal
It was a whirlwind 24 hours for the Colombian frontman, who was thrown straight into the action as Celtic crashed to another abysmal European defeat at the Estadio da Luz. There was one personal bright spot for the £6million ace as he grabbed a second-half consolation before wheeling away with a subtle thumb-sucking celebration in tribute to the newest addition to his family. He could have had a couple more goals, too, had the woodwork not intervened.
Reflecting on a breathless 24 hours, he said: "I'm happy to see the baby is coming and I'm happy to score the goal. But obviously I'm really sad for the team losing the game."
Namesake Jhon Duran torments Celtic
Duran will no doubt have plenty more sleepless nights as his newborn settles into the world. But it's namesake and fellow countryman Jhon Duran who will keep the rest of his Parkhead teammates awake. The ex-Aston Villa hitman and one-time £64m star tormented Celtic with a clinical first-half brace, while further strikes from Alexander Bah and Vangelis Pavlidis compounded the misery.
Celtic's best player Duran said: "I'm really sad. Obviously we came here to get the win and try to get the three points. Or even one point, something positive for us. We couldn't but now we need to have a rest and focus on the next game."
Portuguese return brings back memories
Duran spent the early stages of his career in Portugal by turning out for Lusitania, Estrela da Amadora and Portimonense. But he was eventually plucked by Azerbaijan cracks Qarabag for a bargain £200k as he took the next step of his career in Baku. There, the lethal striker's stock continued to soar with Champions League goals against Ajax, Frankfurt, Newcastle… and Benfica. Duran scored and assisted as Qarabag stunned ex-boss Jose Mourinho's men in their own back yard, inspiring the club to a sensational 3-2 win.
But there was to be no repeat on Thursday night. The 24-year-old was diplomatic when asked to compare the two experiences after a sobering return to Lisbon. He said: "There's no difference really. We just didn't have a good first-half. We just need to fix whatever we need to improve and try not to make the same mistakes."
Celtic's European hopes hang by a thread
Duran might've thought twice about leaving Qarabag had he realised he was trading Europe's top competition for Europa League pummellings. As things stand, the odds are firmly stacked against Celtic progressing into the knockouts. O'Neill's men are rooted at the bottom end of the table without a single point on board. Another flop at home to Celta Vigo and it could be game, set and match for another woeful European campaign.
But with six Europa games still to play, Duran believes Celtic can still qualify for the next phase. He said: "Yeah. Obviously we have to win the game, especially at home. We just need to get the results."
Despite the drubbing in Portugal, Duran says his teammates need no extra edge to face last season's title challengers Hearts on Sunday. He added: "Everyone's motivated. We just need to win the next game, get our heads up and try to prepare for Hearts. We just need to prepare well. Obviously that's a big game. Like every game, we just need to prepare ourselves to get the results."
