SL Benfica vs AGF

Benfica flew out of the blocks at the Estádio da Luz and never let go, beating Aarhus 3-1 in the first leg of their Europa League playoff. The tie was shaped inside the opening minutes, as the hosts snatched an early lead that set the tone for a dominant first half. Rafa Silva struck in the 2nd minute after a scramble in the box, and Leandro Barreiro doubled the lead in the 31st after some shaky defending. Aarhus hit back through Sebastian Jørgensen, who curled in a fine effort five minutes later to briefly unsettle the hosts. Right before the break, Vangelis Pavlidis converted a penalty to restore the two-goal cushion, with goalkeeper Mads Hedenstad forced into several sharp saves. The result gives Benfica a strong platform ahead of next Thursday's second leg in Denmark, putting them well on course for the group stage. Aarhus, despite Jørgensen's response, now face a steep task to overturn the deficit on home soil.