Benfica vs Aguas Santas

The first 11 minutes. Benfica's 7–1 start wasn't merely a hot streak — it came from systemic pressure. The hosts forced early turnovers in the Águas Santas half, converted fast breaks, and never let the visitors establish rhythm. Águas Santas were chasing from the outset, and an eight-goal half-time deficit (16–8) was too steep to recover against a side of Benfica's quality.

Joaquim Nazaré (Benfica) — Joint-top scorer with seven goals, Nazaré was a constant threat from the backcourt, punishing Águas Santas from distance and off the dribble.

Sindre Heldal (Benfica) — Also netted seven, showing sharp finishing and intelligent movement without the ball. The Norwegian was decisive in the first-half surge.

Mikita Vailupau (Benfica) — Six goals from the Belarusian, who combined volume with efficiency and was named among the standout scorers in the official match report.

Anders Hallberg (Benfica head coach) — Picked up his first competitive win as Benfica boss. "Today we played a very good game," he said. "We maintained concentration for the 60 minutes and had good control from the first second of the game."

Player of the match: Joaquim Nazaré (7 goals)

Benfica's 11-goal winning margin was their second-largest in recent competitive meetings with Águas Santas, a side they have now beaten 14 times in 17 encounters since 2018. The 16–8 half-time split (a 66.7% goal share at the break) reflects the early knockout punch — Benfica scored at a rate of roughly one goal every 90 seconds in the first 23 minutes. The fact that 11 different players found the net speaks to a balanced attack that doesn't depend on a single scorer.

Águas Santas, by contrast, managed only 23 goals despite 60 minutes of possession — their lowest total in a league fixture against Benfica since a 32–21 loss in October 2022.

Benfica sit level on two points with the other opening-day winners in Andebol 1, having laid down an early marker after losing the Supertaça 31–24 to Sporting on 23 August. The response — an 11-goal league win — suggests the squad has absorbed Hallberg's methods quickly after pre-season.

Next up for Benfica: an away trip to Póvoa AC on Saturday 5 September at 18:30 local time. Águas Santas will aim to regroup before their second fixture the same weekend.

A statement start. Benfica's first-half demolition set the tone for a comprehensive win, and the scoring spread across 11 players shows the depth Hallberg has at his disposal. Águas Santas will face far less daunting tests this season, but against a side of Benfica's calibre, this was always about damage limitation.