Benfica edged past Denizli 96-91 in their FIBA Europe Cup clash on October 14th, 2026. The hosts ground out the win after a tight contest that went down to the wire. To be fair, neither side pulled clear for long stretches of the game.
Benfica came in with mixed results from their last five outings. They had beaten Sporting 84-71 and Bakkens Bears 91-81, but also suffered defeats to Porto and Vechta. Denizli had won three of their last five, including a heavy 101-87 victory over Tofas Bursa.
The final score tells you everything about how this one played out. Ninety-six points for Benfica, ninety-one for the visitors — five points separated them. And here's the thing, the game never really felt like it would blow open one way or another.
Both sides had been testing themselves against tougher opposition recently. Benfica lost 98-88 away to Vechta, while Denizli fell 85-76 to Anadolu Efes in Istanbul. By then you could sense the quality gap between these teams and the European elite.
This result keeps Benfica in the hunt for a playoff spot. A five-point margin at home means they held their nerve when it mattered most. The clean-sheet run came to an end, but at least they took the win.
