Portuguese giants Benfica proved too strong for Omonia Nicosia as they secured a comfortable 4-1 victory in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday night in Cyprus. South African winger Mihlali Mayambela came off the bench but could not help his side avoid a heavy defeat at the GSP Stadium in Nicosia.

Benfica took the lead early through an own goal by Omonia’s Loïc Nego in the 14th minute. The home side responded well and equalised just before half-time when Andronikos Kakoullis headed home after a quick break. The score stood at 1-1 at the interval.

The visitors stepped up after the break. Vangelis Pavlidis restored Benfica’s lead in the 49th minute with a well-taken finish. Fredrik Aursnes added a third goal in the 76th minute, and Gianluca Prestianni completed the scoring late on to make it 4-1. Benfica dominated possession and created more chances throughout the match.

Mayambela entered the game in the 61st minute, replacing Florin Tanase. It was his third appearance in this season’s Europa League. The 30-year-old winger from Cape Town saw limited time and was unable to influence the result as Benfica continued to control the play. He remains without a goal for Omonia despite making 18 appearances since joining the club in February this year from Aris Limassol.

The result ended Omonia’s perfect start in the competition. They had earlier beaten Spanish side Celta Vigo and Slovenian team Celje. Benfica, meanwhile, kept their unbeaten record and strengthened their position in the league phase.

Mayambela has struggled for regular minutes this season after missing nearly three months with an ankle injury earlier in the year. Most of his appearances have come from the bench, and he has played fewer than 500 minutes in total. In Omonia’s previous Europa League win against Celje, he did provide an assist, showing he can still contribute when given the chance.

Omonia will next face Dutch side NEC Nijmegen in the Europa League on 5 November. For Mayambela, the challenge remains the same: earn more playing time and find the net for his new club after a difficult period. Benfica’s quality proved too much on the night, leaving the South African and his teammates with plenty to work on ahead of their next European fixture.

Source: https://x.com/KickOffMagazine/status/2113563641387561449