Benfica continued their impressive run in the UEFA Europa League with a 3-1 victory over Polish champions Lech Poznan at the Estádio da Luz on Thursday, securing another three points under manager Marco Silva.
Rafa Silva opened the scoring in the sixth minute after goalkeeper Mateusz Lis failed to hold Andreas Schjelderup’s low cross, allowing the midfielder to tap the ball into an unguarded net.
Benfica dominated much of the first half, creating several opportunities to extend their advantage.
Schjelderup nearly doubled the lead shortly before the interval, but his effort was cleared off the line by Terry Yegbe.
The hosts increased their pressure after the break, with Silva coming close to scoring again before Marco Silva introduced Gianluca Prestianni, Enzo Barrenechea and Fredrik Aursnes in the 62nd minute.
Prestianni made an immediate impact, scoring Benfica’s second goal five minutes after his introduction.
The Argentine winger drove a powerful left-footed shot past Lis in the 67th minute to give the Portuguese side a comfortable advantage.
Lech Poznan, however, reduced the deficit in the 72nd minute after a defensive error from Barrenechea.
The midfielder’s misplaced pass inside Benfica’s penalty area was intercepted by Leo Bengtsson, who fired into the roof of the net.
Benfica restored their two-goal cushion in the 90th minute when Georgiy Sudakov converted an opportunity created by Barrenechea, who recovered from his earlier mistake to provide the assist.
The victory extended Benfica’s perfect record in the Europa League league phase, as Silva’s side continued their strong performances in the competition.
