Lisbon, Portugal – Benfica secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Turkish giants Fenerbahçe in an engaging international friendly held at the Estádio da Luz on Saturday, July 26, 2025. The match, attended by 55,443 spectators, served as a crucial part of both clubs’ preparations for the upcoming 2025-26 European football season, as reported by VAVEL and ESPN.
The first half saw Benfica establish a commanding lead. Kerem Aktürkoglu opened the scoring for the Eagles in the 37th minute, finding the back of the net with a precise right-footed shot after receiving a through ball from Vangelis Pavlidis. Just five minutes later, Benfica extended their advantage when a low cross from Fredrik Aursnes deflected off Fenerbahçe’s Archie Brown for an unfortunate own goal in the 42nd minute. However, Fenerbahçe quickly responded, with Irfan Can Kahveci pulling one back in the 45th minute with a powerful left-footed shot from outside the box, assisted by Fred, to keep the visitors in contention at halftime. The intensity of the first half also saw Fenerbahçe’s Sofyan Amrabat receive a yellow card in stoppage time, according to Sky Sports.
The second half began with a flurry of substitutions from both sides, a common sight in pre-season friendlies aimed at giving minutes to a wider squad. Fenerbahçe capitalized on these changes, finding their equalizer in the 60th minute through Youssef En-Nesyri, who slotted home a left-footed shot from the left side of the box, assisted by Sebastian Szymanski. With the score level at 2-2, the match became a true contest. Benfica eventually found their winner in the 81st minute, as Henrique Araújo reacted quickly to a headed pass from Nicolás Otamendi following a set-piece, tapping the ball in from close range. The drama wasn’t over, as Araújo had another goal disallowed by VAR in the 90+2nd minute due to an offside call against Joshua Wynder. Benfica also faced an injury scare when Bruma had to be replaced by Tiago Gouveia in the 79th minute.
Match statistics highlighted a balanced contest despite the scoreline. Benfica maintained 57.7% possession compared to Fenerbahçe’s 42.3%. The Portuguese side registered 14 total shots with 8 on target, forcing Fenerbahçe goalkeeper Irfan Can Egribayat into 6 saves. Fenerbahçe, on the other hand, had 6 total shots with 3 on target, with Benfica’s Anatolii Trubin making 1 save. Benfica committed 12 fouls to Fenerbahçe’s 14, with the Turkish side receiving the only yellow card of the game, as detailed by ESPN and BeSoccer.
Both teams entered the friendly on the back of strong domestic league campaigns in 2024-25, with both finishing second in their respective leagues. Benfica concluded the Liga Portugal season with 80 points, just two points shy of champions Sporting. Their pre-season included a mixed performance in the FIFA Club World Cup, featuring a dominant 6-0 win over Auckland City and a 1-0 victory against Bayern Munich, but also a 4-1 defeat to Chelsea. Fenerbahçe finished the Super Lig season with 84 points, 11 behind Galatasaray. The Turkish side had an impressive pre-season run, securing three consecutive wins against Portimonense, Leiria, and Al-Ittihad, with new loan signing Jhon Durán making an immediate impact by scoring a brace against Al-Ittihad, according to Scores24.
Historically, this marked the first friendly encounter between Benfica and Fenerbahçe. Their previous four competitive meetings, all in European knockout stages, saw Benfica claim two victories, Fenerbahçe one, and one draw. Notably, Benfica had won all three of their prior home competitive matches against Fenerbahçe.
Looking ahead, both clubs face crucial fixtures. Benfica will compete for their first title of the season in the Portuguese Super Cup against Sporting on July 31, followed by a Champions League qualifying round match against Nice on August 6. Fenerbahçe will play one more friendly against Lazio on July 30 before their own Champions League qualifying clash against Feyenoord, which will determine their progression to the league stage. This high-scoring friendly provides valuable insights and momentum for both teams as they fine-tune their squads for the challenges ahead.
