Just hours after PSV’s stunning slip-up, Lisbon delivered its own bombshell: Qarabag defeated Benfica. And not just any win – the visitors trailed 2-0 after just 16 minutes, only to produce the unthinkable turnaround.

The night featured three former Shakhtar Donetsk players. Anatoliy Trubin and Heorhii Sudakov started for Benfica, while Oleksiy Kashchuk came off the bench for Qarabag. In the end, it was Kashchuk who stole the headlines. Yet the match began perfectly for the hosts – and for Sudakov. The Ukrainian midfielder directly influenced both early goals, registering two assists in the opening quarter of an hour.

Benfica start strong, then crumble

The opener came on six minutes, when Sudakov’s corner from the left was headed home by Enzo Barrenetxea. Ten minutes later, Sudakov sliced open Qarabag’s defence with a precise through ball to Vangelis Pavlidis, who made it 2-0. At that point, the contest looked dead and buried – Benfica were in cruise control, while the visitors appeared shell-shocked.

But Qarabag found a lifeline. Leandro Andrade was left completely unmarked from a set piece and rifled past Trubin to make it 2-1. The Azerbaijani side then grew into the game, hitting the post through Kady and forcing the Benfica goalkeeper into two fine saves before the break. The equaliser arrived early in the second half, as Camilo Durán latched onto a splitting pass and finished off the inside of the post – 2-2.

Kashchuk delivers history

From there, Benfica struggled to raise their intensity, controlling possession but playing as if the task were a burden. Qarabag, on the other hand, smelled opportunity. The decisive moment came in the 86th minute. Substitute Kashchuk, who had only recently replaced the injured Marko Janković, played a sharp one-two in the box before drilling a low strike into the near corner – 3-2.

Stunned silence gripped the Estádio da Luz. Benfica failed to mount even a late siege, leaving Qarabag to celebrate a first-ever group stage victory in the Champions League. A result as sensational as it was deserved.

2025-26 UEFA Champions League

Benfica - Qarabag 2:3 (2:1)
Goals: Barrenechea, 6 (1:0); Pavlidis E., 16 (2:0); Andrade Le., 30 (2:1); Durán, 48 (2:2); Kashchuk, 86 (2:3)

Benfica: Trubin; Dedic A.; Silva A.; Dahl; Otamendi; Ríos (Barreiro L., 79); Barrenechea; Aursnes (Ivanović Fr., 70); Sudakov; Pavlidis E. (Araujo P., 79); Schjelderup (Prestianni, 70)
Substitution: Prestianni (from 70); Ivanović Fr. (from 70); Barreiro L. (from 79); Araujo P. (from 79)
Bench: Soares S.; Araújo T.; Oliveira; Obrador; Leandro Santos; Prioste; Veloso J.; Rego Joao

Qarabag: Kochalski; Silva M-s; Mustafazada; Medina K.; Bicalho; Janković M. (Kashchuk, 77); Andrade Le. (Addai E., 66); Kady B.; Jafarguliyev (Bayramov T., 77); Durán (Qurbanly, 90); Zoubir
Substitution: Addai E. (from 66); Bayramov T. (from 77); Kashchuk (from 77); Qurbanly (from 90)
Bench: Magomedaliyev; Buntić; Bolt; Mmaee S.; Huseynov Ab.; Huseynov B.; Kouakou