Vangelis Pavlidis leads Benfica to Europa League victory with four goals

Benfica successfully advanced to the third qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League on July 30, 2026, after a dominant 5-0 victory over Swiss club St. Gallen. Having lost the first leg 2-1, the Portuguese side overturned the deficit with a commanding home performance. Vangelis Pavlidis played a pivotal role, scoring four goals in the 11th, 55th, 65th, and 74th minutes, while Lenglet added the final goal to complete the 5-0 rout.

Following the match, Benfica manager Marco Silva praised Pavlidis for his leadership and work rate both on and off the ball, downplaying recent media rumors linking the forward to a potential transfer to Barcelona. This victory was one of several decisive results in the second qualifying round of the tournament, which also saw teams like PAOK, Anderlecht, and Besiktas progress to the next stage of the competition.