Match report
Prestianni brace helps Benfica see off Aarhus in Europa League play-off
Benfica beat Aarhus 3-1 away in the UEFA Europa League play-offs, with Marco Silva's side taking control before a late home rally proved insufficient. The visitors led at the break through Gianluca Prestianni's opener and never relinquished command of the tie thereafter.
AI-assisted match report written from official match data.
Prestianni put Benfica ahead in the 19th minute, finishing off an assist from Alexander Bah to make it 0-1 at Cepheus Park Randers. The visitors doubled their lead early in the second half when Rafa converted a Samuel Dahl assist in the 55th minute, seemingly putting the contest beyond Aarhus's reach.
Aarhus responded almost immediately, with Rasmus Carstensen pulling one back in the 60th minute to cut the deficit to 1-2 and give the home crowd hope. That hope lasted barely a minute, however, as Prestianni struck again in the 61st, this time teed up by Clément Lenglet, to restore Benfica's two-goal cushion and settle the outcome at 1-3.
Benfica dominated territorially throughout, holding 58 percent of possession and outshooting Aarhus on target by eight to three, a gulf that underlined their control despite the hosts' brief second-half response. No dismissals were shown, though Aarhus picked up two yellow cards to Benfica's none.
Prestianni scored twice, either side of Aarhus's reply, and had a hand in shaping both halves of the contest for Benfica.
Benfica's eight shots on target compared with Aarhus's three reflected their greater threat in front of goal throughout the match.
Benfica won 3–1 away against Aarhus (half-time 0–1).
Aarhus met Benfica in the UEFA Europa League (Play-offs). Kick-off was Thursday, 27 August 2026, 18:00 UTC at Cepheus Park Randers. Referee: Daniel Siebert.
Team pages: Aarhus · Benfica · UEFA Europa League
Key moments
- 19' Goal: Gianluca Prestianni (assist: Alexander Bah) — 0–1 · Watch Gianluca Prestianni's goal video (19')
- 55' Goal: Rafa (assist: Samuel Dahl) — 0–2 · Watch Rafa's goal video (55')
- 60' Goal: Rasmus Carstensen — 1–2
- 61' Goal: Gianluca Prestianni (assist: Clément Lenglet) — 1–3 · Watch Gianluca Prestianni's goal video (61')
Starting line-ups
Aarhus (3-5-2)
- 21 Mads Hedenstad Christiansen
- 33 Luka Callø
- 44 Mouhammade Camara
- 26 Jacob Andersen
- 11 Gift Links
- 23 Mikael Anderson
- 10 Kristian Arnstad
- 16 Jens Jønsson
- 29 Rasmus Carstensen
- 13 Janni-Luca Serra
- 31 Tobias Bech
Benfica (4-1-3-2)
Pre-match read
Over 2.5 Goals. League base rate: 53% over 2.5 goals
Over 1.5 Goals. League base rate: 72% over 1.5 goals
Under 3.5 Goals. League base rate: 30% over 3.5 goals
Both Teams to Score — No. League base rate: 46% both teams score
Benfica to Score. League base rate: 66% away sides score
Home rated 1558 vs 2018 — 0.09 expected score Benfica winning 70% on the road (last 10) Away scored in 100% of recent away matches Benfica unbeaten in last 5
Model-generated pre-match read. Not betting advice.
About this match
On this page: the Aarhus vs Benfica 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 Gianluca Prestianni's goal against Aarhus (19').
- Watch Rafa's goal against Aarhus (55').
- Watch Gianluca Prestianni's goal against Aarhus (61').
Watch the goals: goal highlights and video clips of every goal from Aarhus 1–3 Benfica. Explore more on the Aarhus and Benfica team pages or the UEFA Europa League page.
Quick answers
›What was the final score of Aarhus vs Benfica?
Benfica won 3–1 away against Aarhus (half-time 0–1).
›Who scored in Aarhus vs Benfica?
Gianluca Prestianni (19') for Benfica; Rafa (55') for Benfica; Rasmus Carstensen (60') for Aarhus; Gianluca Prestianni (61') for Benfica.
›Where can I watch Aarhus vs Benfica highlights?
Goal highlights and video clips from Aarhus 1–3 Benfica are on this page — open the videos tab to watch every goal.
›What is the head-to-head record between Aarhus and Benfica?
Aarhus and Benfica have met 1 time — 0 wins for Aarhus, 1 win for Benfica and 0 draws.