UEFA Europa League Gameweek 3
Omonia Nicosia 1 - 4 FT Benfica
Match Statistics
Possession
Shots
Shots on Target
Expected Goals (xG)
Passes
Corners
Fouls
Yellow Cards
Red Cards
Match Events
Loïc Nego 14'
42' Andronikos Kakoullis (Jaden Sean Montnor)
HT
50' ↓ Ewandro ↑Luuk Brouwers
61' ↓ Andronikos Kakoullis ↑Loïs Diony
61' ↓ Florin Tănase ↑Mihlali Mayambela
Tomás Araújo 62'
↓ Manuel Silva ↑João Palhinha 69'
↓ Claudio Echeverri ↑Heorhii Sudakov 69'
↓ Rafa Silva ↑Gianluca Prestianni 69'
Fredrik Aursnes 76'
↓ Vangelis Pavlidis ↑Anísio Cabral 77'
81' ↓ Jaden Sean Montnor ↑A. Neophytou
81' ↓ panagiotis andreou ↑Andreas Christou
João Palhinha 83'
↓ Andreas Schjelderup ↑Dodi Lukebakio 83'
Gianluca Prestianni (Dodi Lukebakio) 85'
90'+3 Loïs Diony
FT
Player Cards
Our take on every player in this match
Omonia Nicosia
Goalkeepers
Fabiano 
OCTOPUS
7
Saves
7
Saves
0
Conceded
100%
Save %
Defenders
Loïc Négo 
FRIENDLY FIRE
Own Goal
Mistake
Own Goal
Mistake
0
Fouls
4.9
Rating
Jean-Kévin Duverne 
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Ľubomír Šatka 
SWEEPER
3
Cleanups
3
Cleanups
3
Interceptions
0
Blocks
Jure Balkovec
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Midfielders
Ewandro
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
50
Total Mins
50
Entry
Panagiotis Andreou 
ENFORCER
3
Tackles
3
Tackles
5
Duels Won
71%
Win %
Mateo Marić
SWEEPER
4
Cleanups
4
Cleanups
4
Interceptions
0
Blocks
Jaden Montnor 
ARCHITECT
3
Key Passes
3
Key Passes
1
Assists
14%
Pass Acc
Forwards
Andronikos Kakoullis 
SNIPER
50%
Conversion
50%
Conversion
1
Goals
2
Shots
Florin Tănase
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
61
Total Mins
61
Entry
BENCH
Thomas Kaminski 
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Stefan Simič
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
A. Christou
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
9
Total Mins
Started
Entry
C. Konstantinidis
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
C. Panagiotis
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Luuk Brouwers
SWEEPER
3
Cleanups
3
Cleanups
3
Interceptions
0
Blocks
Muamer Tankovic
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Angelos Neophytou
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
9
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Mihlali Mayambela
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
29
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Loïs Diony
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
29
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Benfica
Goalkeepers
Anatoliy Trubin
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Defenders
Alexander Bah
ARCHITECT
2
Key Passes
2
Key Passes
0
Assists
52%
Pass Acc
Tomás Araújo 
MAGNET
112
Activity
112
Activity
102
Passes
10
Duels
Alessandro Circati
MAGNET
117
Activity
117
Activity
113
Passes
4
Duels
Souffian El Karouani
ARCHITECT
4
Key Passes
4
Key Passes
0
Assists
76%
Pass Acc
Midfielders
Fredrik Aursnes 
CLOSER
1
Late Goals
1
Late Goals
0
Late Assists
75
Minute
Manuel Silva
MAGNET
73
Activity
73
Activity
64
Passes
9
Duels
Rafa
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
69
Total Mins
69
Entry
Claudio Echeverri
ARCHITECT
3
Key Passes
3
Key Passes
0
Assists
40%
Pass Acc
Andreas Schjelderup
LATE SHIFT
7
Late Mins
7
Late Mins
83
Total Mins
83
Entry
Forwards
Vangelis Pavlidis 
FINISHER
1
Goals
1
Goals
4
Shots
8.2
Rating
BENCH
Samuel Soares
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Samuel Dahl
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
J. Neto
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Clément Lenglet
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Gabriel Indio
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
João Palhinha
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
21
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Heorhiy Sudakov
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
21
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Gonçalo Carvalho Moreira
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
A. Cabral
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
13
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Dodi Lukebakio 
DRIBBLER
3
Dribbles
3
Dribbles
3
Attempts
100%
Success %
Gianluca Prestianni 
CLUTCH HERO
85
Goal Time
85
Goal Time
Goal
Impact
7.6
Rating
League Standings
P: 3 GD: +8
P: 3 GD: +6
P: 3 GD: +3
P: 3 GD: +7
P: 3 GD: +6
P: 3 GD: +2
P: 2 GD: +4
P: 3 GD: +4
P: 2 GD: +4
P: 2 GD: +4
P: 2 GD: +2
P: 3 GD: +1
P: 3 GD: +5
P: 3 GD: +2
P: 3 GD: 0
P: 3 GD: -1
P: 3 GD: -2
P: 3 GD: -3
P: 3 GD: -3
P: 2 GD: +3
P: 2 GD: +2
P: 3 GD: +1
P: 3 GD: -1
P: 3 GD: -1
P: 3 GD: -2
P: 3 GD: -3
P: 3 GD: -5
P: 3 GD: -5
P: 3 GD: -7
P: 3 GD: -8
P: 2 GD: -3
P: 3 GD: -5
P: 3 GD: -5
P: 3 GD: -6
League Standings
P: 3 GD: +8
P: 3 GD: +8
P: 3 GD: +7
P: 3 GD: +6
P: 3 GD: +3
P: 3 GD: +7
P: 3 GD: +6
P: 3 GD: +4
P: 3 GD: +2
P: 3 GD: +4
P: 3 GD: +1
P: 3 GD: -1
P: 3 GD: +1
P: 3 GD: +5
P: 3 GD: +3
P: 3 GD: +2
P: 3 GD: 0
P: 3 GD: -1
P: 3 GD: -2
P: 3 GD: -3
P: 3 GD: -3
P: 3 GD: +1
P: 3 GD: 0
P: 3 GD: -1
P: 3 GD: -1
P: 3 GD: -1
P: 3 GD: -2
P: 3 GD: -3
P: 3 GD: -5
P: 3 GD: -5
P: 3 GD: -7
P: 3 GD: -8
P: 3 GD: -5
P: 3 GD: -5
P: 3 GD: -6
Match previews and recaps to help you decide which games are worth watching
Omonia Nicosia
Benfica
Omonia Nicosia
Benfica
Win Probability
Futmetrix AI estimate
Seven Minutes Between Hope and Control
Highly Entertaining Futmetrix Score: 70/100. Benfica’s 4-1 win over Omonia Nicosia mattered because the immediate reply after the hosts’ equaliser kept their strong Europa League start intact.
Opening Act
Benfica left GSP Stadium with a 4-1 win, but Omonia Nicosia made them fight for control. The hosts struck back just before half-time, turning an early deficit into a live contest; Benfica’s response after the restart separated a scare from a statement. The opener came in the 14th minute when Loïc Nego put through his own net. Benfica dominated possession with 64 per cent, while 23 shots to Omonia’s seven showed how often the visitors reached shooting positions. Yet the hosts found an answer before the break. Andronikos Kakoullis converted Jaden Sean Montnor’s assist in the 42nd minute, rewarding a rare forward burst. The Intensity came from that contrast: sustained pressure, then a sharp home punch. The equaliser briefly reset the mood.
The Pivot
The equaliser looked like a hinge, but the decisive swing came four minutes after the interval. Vangelis Pavlidis put Benfica back in front in the 49th minute, and the visitors never surrendered the lead. That mattered: after Omonia’s goal, Benfica’s immediate answer denied the hosts a chance to build momentum. Benfica created four big chances against Omonia’s one and produced 16 key passes to the hosts’ six. The Balance tilted decisively towards Benfica not because Omonia stopped competing, but because the visitors kept turning possession into shots. Their 3.33 expected goals against Omonia’s 0.91 underlines the gap in threat. Still, 11 saves between the goalkeepers show this was no procession; Omonia kept making Benfica work, with chances still arriving at either end.
Resolution
Fredrik Aursnes pushed the result beyond doubt with a 76th-minute goal, then substitute Gianluca Prestianni added a fourth in the 85th after Dodi Lukebakio’s assist. The bench had its say, and Benfica finished with fresh attacking bite. Omonia had recovered from the own goal through Kakoullis, but could not repeat that response after Pavlidis restored Benfica’s advantage. Benfica won convincingly, controlling 64 per cent and outshooting Omonia 23-7. Both clubs had won their opening two league-stage matches, so this result ends Omonia’s perfect start while Benfica’s continues. The Stakes remain about building a strong route through the league phase, not settling the campaign in October. Omonia’s equaliser made the contest live; Benfica’s speed of response made the outcome emphatic on the scoreboard.
Key Questions
What caused the five-goal thriller?
Benfica’s 23-7 shot edge, 64 per cent possession and four big chances drove the scoring; Omonia levelled briefly before the visitors pulled away.
How did Omonia Nicosia complete the comeback from behind?
They did not complete one: Andronikos Kakoullis levelled in the 42nd minute, but Benfica retook the lead four minutes after half-time and won 4-1.
How did substitute V. Pavlidis change the game?
Pavlidis was not a substitute; he started and scored in the 49th minute, restoring Benfica’s lead four minutes after Omonia’s equaliser.
What is the Futmetrix Score?
The Futmetrix Score is our 0-100 verdict on how entertaining a match is. We look at intensity, balance, stakes, and star quality to tell you if it's worth your time.
Perfect Records Collide for European Supremacy
Highly Entertaining Futmetrix Score: 82/100. Benfica arrive as massive favorites, but an unyielding Omonia Nicosia side will thoroughly test their top-eight credentials in a high-stakes continental clash.
The Setup
Someone's perfect record has to go. This October 22, 2026 fixture at the GSP Stadium pits two flawless sides against each other. Omonia Nicosia and Benfica both boast two wins from two in the UEFA Europa League. A sky-high Form rating tells the story of two squads peaking at the perfect moment. The visitors might hold a clear edge in Stars, but the hosts are flying high in sixth place and flat-out refuse to back down. With top-eight direct qualification on the line in this revamped competition format, the objective is crystal clear. Every point matters as the race to skip the treacherous playoff round intensifies.
Key Battle
The home defensive unit faces a relentless test. S. Coulibaly anchors the rearguard, but his assignment is completely unenviable. He steps up against J. Durán, a roaming forward who punishes even the slightest lapse in defensive focus. If Coulibaly can successfully disrupt the supply line and dominate the aerial duels, the hosts stay firmly in this contest. If the visitor's hitman finds space in the box, it is game over.
Our Prediction
The hosts will deliberately make things uncomfortable early on, turning this into a highly physical battle. Expect a scrappy opening half where the fervent home crowd plays a massive role in disrupting the visitor's passing rhythm. Ultimately, Benfica's overwhelming attacking depth and tactical flexibility will break the deadlock late in the second half. We expect the Portuguese giants to calmly weather the early storm and secure a clinical 2-0 away victory.