Benfica 1–0 Alverca: Pavlidis's penalty settles a night the visitors made the giants work for every inch
SL Benfica beat FC Alverca 1–0 at the Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica in Lisbon on Monday 2 November 2026, in Liga Portugal Matchday 10. After a goalless first half, Vangelis Pavlidis converted a penalty in the 51st minute for the game's only goal. Alverca made the favourites work for it: the visitors matched Benfica's six shots on target, and goalkeeper Samuel Soares made six saves to keep his clean sheet — per the Sportradar Liga Portugal match record, read in full, and Sports Mole's match page.
Key points
- Final: Benfica 1, Alverca 0 — Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica, Lisbon, Monday 2 November 2026 (0–0 at half-time).
- Scorer: Vangelis Pavlidis 51' (penalty) — the Sportradar record and Sports Mole agree.
- Alverca matched Benfica's six shots on target and forced six saves from Samuel Soares — a one-goal game, not a walkover.
What happened
Benfica owned the ball without owning the scoreboard in the first half: 0–0 at the break despite the pressure, with Alverca compact and dangerous enough on the break to keep the Luz nervous.
The change came at half-time — Echeverri for Schjelderup — and the goal six minutes later: a penalty, converted by Pavlidis. Alverca chased the game with five substitutions and kept testing Soares, but the equaliser never came, and Benfica saw out a 1–0 win that was harder than the fixture list suggested.
Both sides, in their own words
Both sides heard. Neither believed for free. Publishing a side's version is not endorsing it — the claim checks below are where verdicts live.
Side A · SL Benfica
- One penalty, one clean sheet, three points: on a night the chances would not turn into goals, Pavlidis's spot-kick was enough.
- Benfica had 61% of the ball and 17 shots — the win was controlled even if the margin stayed at a single goal.
Side B · FC Alverca
- Alverca put six shots on target at the Luz — as many as Benfica managed — and made Samuel Soares earn his clean sheet with six saves.
- A one-goal defeat away to Benfica is no disgrace: the performance travelled even if the points did not.
Independently verified
SL Benfica beat FC Alverca 1–0 at the Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica on Monday 2 November 2026 in Liga Portugal Matchday 10 (0–0 at half-time): Vangelis Pavlidis scored the only goal, a penalty, in the 51st minute, and the match ended at 90+5 minutes. Alverca matched Benfica's six shots on target: the team statistics read 61% possession to Benfica and 17 shots to 9 overall, but 6 shots on target each, with Benfica goalkeeper Samuel Soares making six saves and Alverca's Matheus Mendes five. The breakthrough came six minutes after a half-time change: Claudio Echeverri replaced Andreas Schjelderup at the start of the second half, and Pavlidis's penalty followed in the 51st minute.Not yet verified
Nothing outstanding.Match facts — all verified
- ✓ VerifiedSL Benfica beat FC Alverca 1–0 at the Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica on Monday 2 November 2026 in Liga Portugal Matchday 10 (0–0 at half-time): Vangelis Pavlidis scored the only goal, a penalty, in the 51st minute, and the match ended at 90+5 minutes.Sportradar — SL Benfica vs FC Alverca SAD, Liga Portugal Matchday 10 match record (2 Nov 2026) · Sports Mole — Benfica vs Alverca match guide, Liga Portugal (2 Nov 2026)
- ✓ VerifiedAlverca matched Benfica's six shots on target: the team statistics read 61% possession to Benfica and 17 shots to 9 overall, but 6 shots on target each, with Benfica goalkeeper Samuel Soares making six saves and Alverca's Matheus Mendes five.Sportradar — SL Benfica vs FC Alverca SAD match record, team statistics (2 Nov 2026)
- ✓ VerifiedThe breakthrough came six minutes after a half-time change: Claudio Echeverri replaced Andreas Schjelderup at the start of the second half, and Pavlidis's penalty followed in the 51st minute.Sportradar — SL Benfica vs FC Alverca SAD match record (2 Nov 2026)