Olympiacos Edges Benfica in Five Sets
Olympiacos rallied from a set down to beat Benfica 3-2 in Lisbon and advance in the Women's Challenge Cup.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Volleyball
Olympiacos defeated Benfica 3-2 in the Women's Challenge Cup return leg in Lisbon, saving match point in the fifth set after Benfica led 13-11. The 161-minute match advanced Olympiacos to the Round of 32, where it will face Apollo 8.
Why it matters
The win carries Olympiacos into the Challenge Cup Round of 32 and sets up a two-leg tie against Apollo 8 later this month and into early December. For fans following European club volleyball, the result shows how tightly contested knockout ties can be.
Olympiacos's Bannister scored 32 points, while Benfica committed 41 errors that gave Olympiacos points, compared with 27 errors by Olympiacos that handed Benfica points. Olympiacos recorded 77 attacks to Benfica's 60, but the stub does not provide season-level comparisons.
The players
Olympiacos
Greek women's volleyball club that won the return leg in Lisbon to advance in the Women's Challenge Cup.
Benfica
Portuguese women's volleyball club that lost the tie to Olympiacos after a 3-2 defeat in Lisbon.
Apollo 8
Dutch women's volleyball club that Olympiacos will face in the Challenge Cup Round of 32.
The details
Olympiacos lost the opening set 25-22 and Benfica took the third 25-22, but Olympiacos won the second 25-23, the fourth 28-26 after a five-point run to level at 20-20, and the decisive fifth 18-16. The fifth set was tight throughout, with Olympiacos saving match point after Benfica led 13-11.
Timeline
November 24-26: First leg against Apollo 8 in the Netherlands
December 1-3: Return leg against Apollo 8 at the Melina Merkouri arena in Rentis
Season Trajectory
Olympiacos's win keeps the club in the Challenge Cup knockout bracket, where a two-leg tie against Apollo 8 will decide who reaches the next round. The competition's home-and-away knockout format means the December return leg in Rentis will determine the outcome of the tie.
The first leg against Apollo 8 in the Netherlands will decide how much ground Olympiacos must make up in the return match at home. Fans following the tie should note the December 1-3 return date at Melina Merkouri arena, since the aggregate result depends on both matches.
The takeaway
Close finishes in knockout volleyball can turn on a single saved match point, so the Apollo 8 tie should be watched closely from the first leg onward. Olympiacos's fifth-set escape shows how much a club can gain from holding firm in the final games.
What happens next
Olympiacos plays the first leg against Apollo 8 in the Netherlands between November 24 and 26, followed by the return leg at the Melina Merkouri arena in Rentis on December 1-3.
Further reading
Explore more in Volleyball for coverage of European club tournaments and the Challenge Cup bracket.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Greek City Times.
