"On paper, Benfica are favourites, but..." – a warning from former Omonia goalscorer

In September 1981, Benfica faced Cypriot side Omonia in the first round of the European Cup over a two-legged tie. It marked the first and only time the Lisbon giants crossed paths with a team from Cyprus in European competition. Now, fate—and the UEFA Europa League draw—has paired the Estádio da Luz outfit with Omonia once again, set to clash this Thursday in Nicosia.

Rewinding 45 years to September 16, the Eagles sealed a 3-0 victory in Lisbon with goals from Carlos Manuel, Nené, and Zoran Filipovic. In Nicosia, they secured another win, this time 1-0, courtesy of a strike from the late, legendary Fernando Chalana.

A BOLA revisited that historic tie and looked ahead to the upcoming clash with the help of a man who left his mark: 73-year-old former Benfica striker Filipovic. In Portugal to celebrate his friend Toni's 80th birthday, he still holds fond, if faint, memories of the showdown with Omonia.

"We had great players back then who were in fine form, so it wasn't that difficult for me to score with them by my side. Benfica still have plenty of quality, but Omonia put up a real fight at home; the atmosphere is hostile for visiting sides, and the Cypriot supporters get right behind their team. The heat in Cyprus doesn't help either. They are tough on their own patch. It's hard to remember that exact match, but we were in the European Cup and it was my first season at Benfica, which wasn't my best [7 goals under manager Lajos Baróti]. I only really hit top form when Eriksson arrived [27 goals in 1981/82]", he recalled with a smile in an exclusive interview with A BOLA.

Filipovic's Benfica did not go far in Europe in 1981/82, bowing out in the following round against Bayern Munich (0-0 and 1-4). However, the next season they reached the UEFA Cup final (losing to Anderlecht) after winning in Rome. This season, having beaten Milan, Benfica are being tipped as strong contenders to go all the way: "I watched the Milan match, which was great, and I also saw the game against Celtic. Benfica are very strong, they have a good manager, and the fans create a fantastic, electric atmosphere at the Estádio da Luz. But in modern football it is not easy to win every match; teams are very well-drilled technically, tactically, and physically, so it will be tough. But they have started well, and we have to get behind them so they keep up this level of commitment."

He continued: "Back then, people didn't really know Benfica's true quality and we surprised Europe. After that great run, everyone saw what a top team we had as we reached the final. Benfica have a good squad now as well, but that often isn't enough on its own—you have to perform at your absolute best to win, because there are no easy games. In the Europa League, just like in the Champions League, the competition is fierce. I watched the Celtic match at the Luz and the scoreline can sometimes be misleading; Celtic showed they have good players," explained Filipovic, born in Podgorica (former Yugoslavia, now Montenegro), speaking in fluent Portuguese. "Benfica's players must understand they need to give everything. On paper, Benfica are favourites, but no match is won before it is played."