Benfica swept past St Gallen 5-0 in the second leg of the Europa League second qualifying round, completing a comeback after the Swiss side's 2-1 first-leg win. Vangelis Pavlidis was the star of the night with four goals — in the 11th, 55th, 65th and 74th minutes, the last from the penalty spot — before Clement Lenglet added a fifth in the 82nd.
The Portuguese giants wrapped up the tie without much trouble, overturning the first-leg defeat to progress with a commanding 6-2 aggregate scoreline. The Eagles dominated from start to finish, showing their technical superiority against a Swiss side that never looked capable of matching their tempo.
There was an Italian angle to the night: Franjo Ivanovic, the Croatian striker born in 2003, spent all 90 minutes on the Benfica bench. The forward is reportedly on Lazio's list as coach Gennaro Gattuso looks to strengthen his attack ahead of the new season.
