Juventus v Benfica: Pavlidis out to make his mark as a goalscorer in Turin | OneFootball

The duel this Wednesday in Turin against Juventus, counting for the 7th matchday of the UEFA Champions League, represents a decisive opportunity for Benfica: to stay in the fight for qualification to the next stage of the competition and for Vangelis Pavlidis – who may have company on the scoresheet – to get back to scoring goals.

Although Benfica has the second-best attack in the League — 38 goals, behind Sporting’s 50 but ahead of Porto’s 37 — in the Champions League group stage they have only scored six goals (conceding eight) in five matches (three losses and two wins). Only one of those goals was scored by the Greek international, in the 2-3 against Qarabag (Azerbaijan), right in the first matchday of this stage, a defeat that negatively surprised Benfica fans and significantly affected the team’s European campaign this season.

Vangelis Pavlidis is Benfica’s top scorer, with 24 goals across all competitions, 17 of them in the League — a number that makes him the top scorer in the championship. However, the Greek striker still needs to stand out in Europe as well. So far, the number 14 has only scored one goal in this European campaign. However, given Benfica’s good track record against Italian teams, especially against Juventus, Pavlidis is naturally looking to make his mark. It’s worth remembering that he both scored and assisted in Turin last season against the Bianconeri, where Benfica won 2-0.

It’s worth noting that the match is scheduled for this Wednesday, January 21, with a playoff spot at stake, and will be broadcast on Sport TV. Currently, Benfica occupies 25th place in the standings, with six points, while Juventus is in 17th place, having collected nine points.

This season for Benfica, Vangelis Pavlidis – valued at 35 million euros – has played 34 matches: 18 in Liga Portugal Betclic, six in the Champions League, three in the Portuguese Cup, two in the League Cup, and one in the Super Cup. In his 2,726 minutes on the pitch, he has scored 24 goals and provided three assists.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.