Match report
Benfica overwhelm Aarhus in first-half blitz to win Europa League play-off leg
Benfica beat Aarhus 3-1 in the UEFA Europa League play-offs, with the contest effectively settled inside the opening 45 minutes. Marco Silva's side led from the second minute and never looked in danger despite a brief Aarhus response before the interval.
AI-assisted match report written from official match data.
Rafa opened the scoring inside two minutes, and Leandro Barreiro doubled the lead in the 31st minute. Sebastian Jørgensen pulled one back for Aarhus in the 36th minute, assisted by Jacob Andersen, but Vangelis Pavlidis restored the two-goal cushion from the penalty spot in first-half stoppage time, making it 3-1 at the break, which is how it finished.
Benfica dominated possession with 70 per cent of the ball and produced 12 shots on target to Aarhus's one, underlining their control throughout. Aarhus committed 16 fouls to Benfica's nine as they struggled to contain the hosts, while Jakob Poulsen's side managed just one corner across the match.
Pavlidis capped a dominant Benfica display by converting a penalty in first-half stoppage time to make it 3-1.
Benfica's 12 shots on target against Aarhus's solitary effort reflected the gulf in attacking threat between the two sides.
Benfica beat Aarhus 3–1 (half-time 3–1).
Benfica met Aarhus in the UEFA Europa League (Play-offs). Kick-off was Thursday, 20 August 2026, 19:00 UTC at Estádio da Luz. Referee: Marco Guida.
Team pages: Benfica · Aarhus · UEFA Europa League
Key moments
- 2' Goal: Rafa — 1–0
- 31' Goal: Leandro Barreiro — 2–0
- 36' Goal: Sebastian Jørgensen (assist: Jacob Andersen) — 2–1
- 45' Goal (penalty): Vangelis Pavlidis — 3–1
Starting line-ups
Benfica (4-1-3-2)
Aarhus (3-5-2)
- 21 Mads Hedenstad Christiansen
- 19 Eric Kahl
- 44 Mouhammade Camara
- 25 Colin Rösler
- 39 Frederik Emmery
- 4 Magnus Knudsen
- 10 Kristian Arnstad
- 10 Kristian Arnstad
- 8 Sebastian Jørgensen
- 26 Jacob Andersen
- 28 J. Bogere
- 31 Tobias Bech
Pre-match read
Home rated 2017 vs 1559 — 0.95 expected score Benfica winning 70% at home (last 10) Home scored in 100% of recent home matches Benfica unbeaten in last 5
Model-generated pre-match read. Not betting advice.
About this match
On this page: the Benfica vs Aarhus final score and result, goal highlights and video clips of every goal, who scored, starting lineups, match stats and the full match report from this UEFA Europa League fixture.
- Who scored and when — a goal-by-goal timeline of the match.
- Match stats — possession, shots, expected goals (xG), corners and cards.
- Starting lineups and player ratings for both teams.
- Head-to-head record and recent form for both sides.
Watch the goals: goal highlights and video clips of every goal from Benfica 3–1 Aarhus. Explore more on the Benfica and Aarhus team pages or the UEFA Europa League page.
Quick answers
›What was the final score of Benfica vs Aarhus?
Benfica beat Aarhus 3–1 (half-time 3–1).
›Who scored in Benfica vs Aarhus?
Rafa (2') for Benfica; Leandro Barreiro (31') for Benfica; Sebastian Jørgensen (36') for Aarhus; Vangelis Pavlidis (45') (penalty) for Benfica.
›Where can I watch Benfica vs Aarhus highlights?
Goal highlights and video clips from Benfica 3–1 Aarhus are on this page — open the videos tab to watch every goal.
›What is the head-to-head record between Benfica and Aarhus?
Benfica and Aarhus have met 1 time — 1 win for Benfica, 0 wins for Aarhus and 0 draws.