GOLAZONEWSBenfica secure comeback victory against Santa Clara
- Benfica overturned a halftime deficit to defeat Santa Clara 2-1.
- Vangelis Pavlidis equalized before Gianluca Prestianni netted the winner.
- Coach Marco Silva warned that the season remains a long road ahead.
Benfica secured a 2-1 win away at Santa Clara after trailing at halftime due to a penalty converted by Dahl. Benfica coach Marco Silva addressed the difficulties faced during the match, noting that the team's performance improved significantly following his instructions during the interval, while cautioning that the season remains a long road ahead.
The comeback was initiated by Vangelis Pavlidis, who reinforced his status as the Liga Betclic top scorer with his ninth goal in nine games. Gianluca Prestianni played a pivotal role, providing an assist for the equalizer and scoring the decisive goal himself. Prestianni later highlighted his successful partnership with Andreas Schjelderup.
The match featured officiating analysis by Jorge Faustino and Marco Ferreira regarding referee Claudio Pereira's decisions. Santa Clara players protested the winning goal, claiming a handball by Lukebakio.