Benfica's early lead erased as Qarabag stuns with 3-2 victory

UEFA Champions League - Benfica v Qarabag, Estadio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal, September 16, 2025
Reuters

Benfica squandered a two-goal advantage, falling 3-2 at home to Qarabag in their Champions League opener. Oleksiy Kashchuk's late strike secured a historic comeback for the Azerbaijani side.

Benfica appeared to be in control early in the match, with Enzo Barrenechea opening the scoring in the sixth minute and Vangelis Pavlidis doubling the lead in the 16th minute. However, Qarabag responded strongly. Leandro Andrade pulled one back in the 30th minute, and Camilo Durán leveled the score just after halftime. With the match seemingly heading for a draw, Oleksiy Kashchuk's late goal in the 86th minute completed the comeback, giving Qarabag a 3-2 victory at the Estádio da Luz. 

The result marks a significant achievement for Qarabag, who secured their first-ever win in the Champions League group stage. Benfica, who reached the last 16 last season, will need to regroup ahead of their upcoming matches.

This victory not only marks a significant achievement for Qarabag but also earns them a €2.1 million performance bonus from UEFA. 

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