Benfica Secures Hard-Fought Win Over Estrela da Amadora in Liga Portugal

Benfica secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory against Estrela da Amadora at the Estádio José Gomes in Reboleira, maintaining their strong domestic momentum in the 2026-27 Primeira Liga. The thrilling encounter tested the visitors, who had to dig deep to overcome a combative and well-organized home side.

Greek forward Vangelis Pavlidis played a pivotal role in the triumph, scoring a decisive goal that cemented his position at the top of the league's scoring charts. With this latest strike, Pavlidis extended his tally to 11 goals in the Portuguese championship this season, putting him two goals ahead of Sporting's Luis Suárez in the race for the golden boot.

Teammate Gianluca Prestianni also made a significant impact on the pitch, adding another goal to his impressive campaign. Prestianni remains firmly in third place in the league's goalscoring list with seven goals, further highlighting Benfica's potent attacking form.

Despite entering the fixture as strong favorites, Benfica faced a difficult challenge on the road. Head coach Marco Silva had warned his squad about the tricky nature of the venue and the backing of the home fans, noting that his team needed to be at their absolute best to secure the three points against Pepa's side.

The match arrived amidst a busy schedule for the visiting side, who recently triumphed 3-1 over Lech Poznan in the UEFA Europa League. However, Benfica's preparations were dealt a minor blow prior to kickoff when team captain and midfielder Fredrik Aursnes was ruled out of the squad due to a right thigh muscle injury.

In addition to Aursnes, Benfica traveled without Leandro Barreiro and Jaden Umeh, who were sidelined with injuries. Nevertheless, the visiting team's depth proved sufficient to navigate the fixture and claim a vital victory away from home.

With the win, Benfica continues to apply pressure at the summit of the league table, holding firm in second place and keeping pace in the fierce domestic title race. Meanwhile, Estrela da Amadora remains rooted in mid-table, looking to bounce back in upcoming fixtures after a challenging stretch of results.