Benfica defeats Aarhus 3-1 in Europa League play-off first leg

Benfica secured a significant advantage in their quest to reach the UEFA Europa League league phase after defeating Aarhus 3-1 in the first leg of their play-off at Estádio da Luz.

Rafa Silva opened the scoring for the home side, followed by a goal from Leandro Barreiro to extend the lead. The victory continues a historical trend where matches between these two clubs in European competitions have often preceded Benfica reaching a tournament final.

The match was officiated by Marco Guida from Italy. Benfica's lineup included players such as Samuel Soares, Alexander Bah, and Pavlidis, under the management of Marco Silva.