Benfica beat Omonia 4-1 in Nicosia to make it three wins from three in the Europa League. The visitors went ahead early, Andronikos Kakoullis levelled before half-time, and Vangelis Pavlidis, Fredrik Aursnes and Gianluca Prestianni then scored to lift Benfica to the top of the table.
Nicosia, Cyprus: Marco Silva’s Benfica needed only 14 minutes to take control at the GSP Stadium. They were pegged back before the break, then pulled clear with three goals after the restart to stay perfect in this season’s Europa League.
An early lead, a swift reply
Benfica struck first in the 14th minute. Fredrik Aursnes crossed from the right, Claudio Echeverri’s effort led to the opener, and Omonia full-back Loïc Négo turned the ball into his own net. The Cypriot side responded before the interval. Jaden Montnor chipped a pass and delivered a cross, and Andronikos Kakoullis finished past Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin to make it 1-1 at half-time.
Pavlidis and Aursnes turn the tie
Benfica regained the lead within minutes of the restart. In the 49th minute Omonia goalkeeper Fabiano parried an effort from Alexander Bah, and Vangelis Pavlidis was on hand to score his 16th goal of the season in all competitions. Omonia’s task became harder when they lost possession in a dangerous area, and Aursnes made it 3-1 in the 76th minute, a little over a quarter of an hour from time.
Prestianni seals top spot
The fourth goal came with five minutes left. Dodi Lukébakio, on as a substitute in the 83rd minute, won the ball, beat two opponents and ran into the box before setting up Gianluca Prestianni, who finished from close range in the 85th minute.
The result takes Benfica to nine points from three games, with ten goals scored and two conceded, and puts them top of the league-phase table. They opened with a 2-0 win over Milan and followed it with a 4-1 victory over Celtic on matchday two. Their next league-phase match is against Lech Poznań on 5 November.
Result summary: Omonia 1-4 Benfica (UEFA Europa League, league phase, matchday 3, Thursday 22 October 2026, GSP Stadium, Nicosia). Goals: Négo (o.g.) 14’, Pavlidis 49’, Aursnes 76’, Prestianni 85’ for Benfica; Kakoullis for Omonia (first half).
