Benfica 6-1 over Hart as Salzburg beats Paphos 1-0 in Europa League play-offs

Benfica secured a commanding 6-1 victory against Hart in the first leg of the Europa League play‑offs. Vasilis Pavlidis opened the scoring from the penalty spot and added a second before halftime; a third goal was disallowed for off‑side. Hart reduced the deficit to 4‑1 before the Portuguese side sealed the win with late goals from Dourado and Seltenrup, confirming their place in the next round.

In a separate play‑off tie, Salzburg edged Paphos FC 1‑0 at the Red Bull Arena. After a rain‑delayed start, the match remained goalless until the 88th minute when Tambakovits struck the decisive goal. Paphos missed a chance to equalise after a player was sent off in injury time, leaving Salzburg with a narrow advantage heading into the second leg.