Victors and Vanquished: Pavlidis Dazzles for Benfica as PSG Secures Another Ligue 1 Crown

As we head into the critical stretch of the season, this week has delivered quite a few unforgettable moments, filled with both remarkable performances and some you’d likely want to erase from memory. In this weekly update, Flashscore examines the current climate.

Pavlidis, who showed great promise during the pre-season, found it tough going at Benfica initially. By January, the Greek striker had only netted nine goals. However, a defining hat-trick against Barcelona changed everything, and here we are, four months later in 2025, with Pavlidis firmly established as Benfica’s key attacking threat.

This past Sunday, he reinforced his status by scoring another hat-trick in the highly anticipated Liga Portugal derby against FC Porto. By becoming the first Benfica player to achieve a hat-trick at home against the Dragons, Pavlidis effectively dashed the Blue and Whites’ title aspirations. It’s noteworthy that no player had managed a hat-trick against Porto on their own turf since Pizzi did so back in May 2011 while donning the Pacos de Ferreira jersey.

Pavlidis’s journey at Benfica has certainly been adventurous, and the Greek forward is hoping for a successful conclusion—title glory rather than disaster.

Quo vadis, Boavista? This question is on the lips of everyone connected with the axadrezado badge. As one of Portugal’s five national champions, the historic Porto club finds itself in dire straits, seemingly the first side facing relegation, with no hope in sight.

Just a day before their match against Rio Ave, Boavista announced that Lito Vidigal had been relieved of his duties, with Jorge Couto stepping up as interim manager for the last seven games. Sitting at the bottom of the table on 15 points, they are 11 points adrift of safety and eight points shy of play-off contention, making their relegation to League 2 appear inevitable.

Vidigal was the second manager to take the reins this season, achieving only one win against five losses, following Italian Cristiano Bacci, who managed two wins, six draws, and 13 defeats. Bacci has made history in Moreira de Cónegos by not losing any of his first five matches (two wins and three draws).

His arrival was marked by a flurry of new signings, including high-profile names like Vaclík, Van Ginkel, and Layvin Kurzawa, after FIFA restrictions on transfers had been lifted. However, even these additions failed to spark a turnaround for the team.

Winner: PSG

“I’m confident that we’ll emerge stronger next year“, declared Luis Enrique during his first press conference after Kylian Mbappé’s departure from PSG, which stirred quite a bit of debate. The Parisians were facing the prospect of losing one of the world’s finest players for free for the second consecutive year, after the exits of Neymar and Messi the previous summer.

However, it seems the Spanish manager has indeed delivered on his promise. With a talented group of youngsters—Willian Pacho, Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves, Zaïre-Emery, Bradley Barcola, and Desire Doue—alongside seasoned campaigners like Marquinhos, Hakimi, Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz, Kvaratskhelia, and Dembele, PSG has evolved into one of the most formidable teams in European football.

This past weekend, they celebrated their 13th French championship title and appear primed for a strong assault on the Champions League. They’ve already seen off Brest and Liverpool, with Aston Villa next in the crosshairs. In fact, they look stronger than ever.

Loser: Jose Mourinho

Jose Mourinho stands as one of the most esteemed managers in global football. If you disagree, remember that he is the last coach to guide a team outside of Europe’s top five leagues to a Champions League triumph—Porto in 2004. Nonetheless, at 62 years of age, the man who once commanded respect as a brilliant coach seems to be spiralling downwards.

Fenerbahce’s ambitious pursuit of a title that has eluded them for a decade now looks like it will remain just that—an aim. Currently three points behind leaders Galatasaray and eliminated from the Europa League by Rangers (on penalties), they also faced the embarrassment of being knocked out of the Turkish Cup by their fierce rivals last Wednesday.

As if that wasn’t enough, an added controversy marked his tenure in Turkey, often overshadowed by tumultuous events on social media. Following a high-stakes finish to the game, he approached Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk and… pinched his nose. Fenerbahce claims that Buruk provoked them consistently, but this was a less-than-flattering moment for someone once regarded as among the best. Even a recent win over Trabzonspor couldn’t wash away that memory.

In England, where Mourinho has also shone, another Portuguese manager is quietly rising. While Nuno Espirito Santo’s role at Nottingham Forest is less celebrated, Marco Silva has led Fulham to become only the second team this season to triumph over Liverpool, who look poised to reclaim the Premier League title.

Fulham achieved a stunning comeback at Craven Cottage in just 14 minutes, thanks to goals from Ryan Sessegnon, Alex Iwobi, and Rodrigo Muniz. While this won’t greatly impact Liverpool’s standing (sitting 11 points ahead of Arsenal), it signifies a noteworthy three points for Fulham, showcasing Silva’s remarkable stewardship.

Positioned in eighth place (which should see them qualify for the Conference League), ahead of Brighton, Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, Manchester United, or Tottenham, would be the cherry on top of a project that commenced in the Championship and has navigated the Premier League without ever flirting with relegation.

Meanwhile, Southampton’s relegation has been confirmed. With seven matches left in the season, the Saints now know they will be dropping back to the second tier of English football.

As if the pain of relegation wasn’t enough, the recently dismissed Ivan Juric’s squad is in danger of making history as the worst-performing side in the Premier League’s annals. For now, they’ve secured their status as the team to be relegated the quickest—with seven matches remaining—outpacing Derby County and Ipswich Town.

With just 10 points from 31 games, Southampton has yet to match Derby’s dismal total (11 points in the 2007/08 season). Following their promotion last season by beating Leeds in the play-offs, it’s been a year to forget for the south coast club in the top flight.