Lisbon, September 16, 2025
Qarabağ FK delivered one of the most remarkable nights in its history, overturning a two-goal deficit to beat Portuguese giants Benfica 3–2 in the opening round of the UEFA Champions League league phase.
At the Estádio da Luz, the hosts looked in control early, with Barrenechea (6′) and Vangelis Pavlidis (16′) striking to give Benfica a 2–0 lead. But Qarabağ refused to fold. Leandro Andrade pulled one back on 30 minutes, before Camilo Durán equalized shortly after the restart (48′).
The decisive moment came in the 86th minute when Aleksey Kashchuk silenced the Lisbon crowd, completing a stunning turnaround for the Azerbaijani champions.
The result places Qarabağ in a strong position as they prepare for their next group-stage fixture against Denmark’s FC Copenhagen on October 1 at Baku’s Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium.
