Benfica has drawn first blood in their Champions League knockout phase playoff tie against Monaco, winning 1-0 thanks to Vangelis Pavlidis's strike on February 12, 2025.
Pavlidis's clever finish put Benfica ahead during the first leg held at Stade Louis II, where the match took a pivotal turn when Monaco's Al Musrati received his marching orders for two bookable offenses. The visitors entered the second half determined to capitalize on their opportunities, and within three minutes, Pavlidis delicately lifted the ball over Monaco goalkeeper Radoslaw Majecki from a tight angle, breaking the deadlock.
Following Pavlidis's opening goal, Monaco faced another setback just four minutes later when Musrati was shown a second yellow card for dissent, reducing the hosts to ten men. Despite Benfica's numerical advantage, they struggled to find the back of the net again; Pavlidis was denied by Majecki soon after.
The single-goal advantage secured Benfica's lead heading back to Lisbon for the second leg, but the match was significant on multiple fronts. It marked Benfica's third consecutive victory on the road in the Champions League, their first such achievement since the 1989-90 season.
Data from the match revealed remarkable stats, including Benfica's total of 23 shots, the most they had registered during an away Champions League match since November 2010.
Pavlidis has now scored six goals in this season's Champions League, tying him with notable Greek player Antonis Antoniadis, who holds the record for the most goals scored by a Greek player in a single European Cup/Champions League campaign.
While Monaco faced disappointment on the pitch, another milestone occurred off the field. Antonio Silva, at just 21 years and 105 days old, became the youngest Portuguese player to make 20 appearances in the Champions League, breaking Cristiano Ronaldo's previous record set at 21 years and 254 days.
This win puts Benfica firmly poised as they prepare for the return leg, creating expectations for what the team can achieve. Monaco, with their history of struggle against Portuguese teams—having lost seven of their nine games against them—now face the uphill battle of trying to overturn this deficit when they travel to Lisbon.