Benfica defeat Casa Pia 7-0 with seven-minute Pavlidis hat-trick in Rio Maior

Dominant first half in Rio Maior

Benfica earned their first victory of the domestic league season on Monday, 17 August 2026, defeating Casa Pia 7-0 at the Estadio Municipal de Rio Maior in the second round of the Primeira Liga. The Lisbon club took the lead after three minutes when Argentine attacker Gianluca Prestianni received possession near the edge of the penalty box, moved laterally, and struck a shot that deflected off defender David Sousa before beating goalkeeper Andre Gomes. Benfica doubled their advantage in the 14th minute after Vangelis Pavlidis supplied a pass to Rafa Silva, who chipped the ball over Gomes into the net. Casa Pia produced their first goalscoring opportunity two minutes later when forward Gabi sent an effort centimeters wide of the post. Benfica threatened again in the 36th minute when Ukrainian midfielder Heorhiy Sudakov tested the opposition goal with a powerful strike, but Gomes made a diving save to keep the scoreline at 2-0 heading into the halftime break.

Second-half scoring run and Pavlidis hat-trick

The visiting side overwhelmed Casa Pia by scoring five goals in a 14-minute span immediately following the restart. Greek striker Vangelis Pavlidis initiated the sequence in the 47th minute, receiving a pass from Rafa Silva through an opening in the penalty area before placing his shot past Gomes. Pavlidis struck again in the 49th minute and completed a seven-minute hat-trick in the 54th minute, establishing himself as the league top scorer. Casa Pia defensive midfielder Lawrence Ofori conceded an own goal in the 58th minute when an errant touch redirected the ball into his own net. Colombian forward Jhon Duran, who entered the match as a substitute in the 59th minute, scored his first goal in Portuguese football just two minutes later in the 61st minute. Casa Pia attempted to produce a consolation goal during the final 30 minutes of play, but Benfica maintained their defensive shape to secure the clean sheet.

Rebounding from early season setbacks

The decisive victory in Rio Maior addressed early form concerns for Benfica under manager Marco Silva. The Lisbon side entered the fixture following a 2-2 home draw against Academico de Viseu at the Estadio da Luz on the opening matchday of the Primeira Liga. Benfica had also recorded a draw away against Scottish club Heart of Midlothian in UEFA Europa League qualifying action earlier in the month. The result on Monday ended a three-game winless streak against Casa Pia, an opponent Benfica had failed to defeat across their previous three league meetings during the past two seasons. The fixture also marked an encounter against former Benfica goalkeeper Andre Gomes, who moved to Casa Pia during the summer transfer window after developing through the Lisbon club ranks.

Primeira Liga standings impact

The 7-0 result lifted Benfica to fourth place in the Primeira Liga table with four points from their opening two matches. Casa Pia remained in 18th and bottom place in the standings with zero points and zero goals, having also lost their opening fixture 1-0 away to Maritimo. Benfica sit within touching distance of the early table leaders, trailing FC Porto, Arouca, and Maritimo. The performance demonstrated improved attacking conversion for Marco Silva's squad after the team converted seven of their chances away from home. Casa Pia will prepare for the third round of the championship seeking their first points of the campaign, while Benfica turn their attention toward continuing their domestic progress.