Benfica will need a response at the Estádio da Luz on July 30 if it is to keep its Europa League hopes alive. After losing 2-1 to St Gallen in Switzerland on July 24, Benfica now has to overturn the first-leg defeat at 8pm in the return match.
The first leg was the first competitive match in charge for Marco Silva, and it ended with Benfica on the wrong side of the result. St Gallen struck in the 37th minute and again in the 80th minute, while Benfica’s lone goal came in between those moments. That left the tie open, but also left Benfica with work to do at home.
What Benfica needs to do
Benfica need to win the second leg to move on, and a one-goal victory would be enough to force the tie closer into the balance, while a margin of two or more goals would secure progress. Marco Silva has been clear about the approach he wants, saying Benfica must be stronger collectively and produce a performance that allows its qualities to overcome the way the opposition plays.
He also said he wants a strong start to send a message to the supporters and help bring the match under control. That makes the opening stages especially important for Benfica, which is trying to avoid an early European exit in a game that now carries real pressure.
St Gallen keeps the advantage for now
St Gallen enters the return leg with a one-goal lead, but Carlos Vicens has stressed that the tie remains open. After the win in Switzerland, he said his team lacked energy, assertiveness and determination in its attacks, while also making clear that it wants to show a different version of itself in Portugal.
Vicens also said St Gallen wants to be a solid, hardworking team that uses its processes to pursue victory without focusing too much on the small advantage it has. That suggests the Swiss side is not planning to sit back and simply protect the scoreline.
The stakes are straightforward: Benfica must find a way back into the tie at home, or risk seeing its Europa League campaign end before the next round. For Marco Silva, the assignment is simple even if the task is not — deliver the kind of collective performance that turns Benfica’s quality into a result.
Elsewhere, Braga also has a qualifying task after beating Železničar Pančevo 1-0 in Serbia on July 24 before hosting the return leg at the Estádio Municipal de Braga on July 30 at 8pm. Braga reached the Europa League semi-finals last season but now must negotiate three qualifying rounds to reach the Conference League’s league phase.
