Benfica made it three wins from three in the Europa League league phase with a 4-1 win at Omonia Nicosia on Thursday, level at half-time before Vangelis Pavlidis, Fredrik Aursnes and Gianluca Prestianni pulled them clear in the second half at the GSP Stadium.
Benfica led on 14 minutes when Loic Nego turned the ball into his own net, but Omonia refused to fold in front of their own supporters. Andronikos Kakoullis headed the equaliser shortly before the interval, set up by Jaden Montnor, and for a moment the Cypriot side believed a famous result was possible.
Pavlidis Restores Order After the Break
That belief lasted four minutes of the second half. Pavlidis fired Benfica back in front on 49 minutes, and from there the visitors' quality in volume told. Benfica finished with 23 shots to Omonia's seven and 64 per cent of the possession, a dominance that eventually broke the hosts completely.
Aursnes made it 3-1 on 76 minutes, and substitute Prestianni wrapped it up on 85 minutes with a right-foot finish inside the box, assisted by fellow substitute Dodi Lukebakio. Omonia goalkeeper Fabiano made six saves on the night, without which the margin would have been wider still.
The result follows the kind of ruthless away performance that also lit up the night elsewhere in the competition, from the drama in Bournemouth to a very different kind of evening for Juventus, who had to settle for a draw. The full league-phase picture is on UEFA, while VAVEL rated Aursnes, Claudio Echeverri and Pavlidis as the visitors' standout performers.
So What It Means for the League Phase
Benfica sit on nine points from three matches, with earlier wins over AC Milan and Hamburg behind them, and a home game against Lech Poznan next on 5 November. In this format, that perfect start puts them firmly on course for a direct place in the round of 16 rather than the play-off round, and it gives Marco Silva room to rotate in the middle rounds without gambling the campaign.
For Omonia, the lesson is harsher. They competed for 49 minutes, scored a good goal and had a bright outlet in Montnor, but they could not live with Benfica's second-half tempo. They travel to NEC Nijmegen next, still looking to turn competitive spells into points before the table leaves them behind.
Beyond the Final Whistle: This is what a serious Europa League favourite looks like — not blowing a weaker side away from the first whistle, but staying patient, trusting the bench and then scoring three times in 36 second-half minutes. Benfica did not panic at 1-1 in Nicosia, and that composure, allied to real depth in Prestianni and Lukebakio, is why nine points from nine is no fluke. Can anyone stop Benfica making it four from four against Lech Poznan?
