Benfica vs Hearts - prediction, team news, lineups

Still recovering from a heartbreaking extremity to the 2025-26 season, Hearts travel to the Portuguese superior of Lisbon for a third-round Europa League qualifier against Benfica, with the victor of the necktie securing a spot successful the league phase.

The Eagles secured a 6-2 aggregate triumph implicit St Gallen successful the erstwhile qualifying round, portion the Jambos are inactive searching for their archetypal triumph nether their caller manager aft dropping into the Europa League pursuing a disappointing Champions League exit against Austrian broadside Sturm.

Match preview

Despite failing to reclaim the Primeira Liga rubric past season, Benfica finished the run unbeaten aft signaling 23 victories and 11 draws from their 34 league matches, though Jose Mourinho's broadside yet finished 8 points down champions Porto.

After managing 4 antithetic clubs successful England, Marco Silva returned to his homeland to regenerate the present Real Madrid manager, but was incapable to get disconnected to an awesome start. 

Silva's tenure began successful disappointing manner during the 2nd circular of Europa League qualifying, arsenic the Eagles suffered a 2-1 decision distant to Swiss broadside St Gallen, ending an 11-match unbeaten tally that had lone antecedently been halted by Real Madrid successful the Champions League.

Although that effect ended their unbeaten streak, the 38-time Primeira Liga champions responded successful emphatic manner by thrashing St Gallen 5-0 successful the instrumentality leg, with Vangelis Pavlidis scoring 4 goals earlier Clement Lenglet completed the rout connected his location debut.

The effect saw Benfica advancement to the last qualifying round, wherever they present look Hearts earlier returning to home enactment against Academico Viseu soon aft the archetypal leg.

As for Hearts, they caput into this necktie inactive dealing with the disappointment of missing retired connected the Scottish Premiership rubric connected the last time of past season.

A 3-1 decision to the Bhoys allowed Martin O'Neill's broadside to snatch the rubric by the narrowest of margins, ending Hearts' hopes of becoming the archetypal nine extracurricular Celtic oregon Rangers to triumph the league since 1985.

The setback was followed by a hard summer, with manager Derek McInnes, skipper Lawrence Shankland and cardinal midfielder Cammy Devlin each departing for Rangers, leaving Hearts with a superior rebuilding occupation ahead. 

To capable the void near astatine Tynecastle Park, Hearts turned to Wouter Vrancken, who arrived aft astir precocious managing Belgian broadside Sint-Truidense VV.

Like Silva, Vrancken endured a hard commencement to his reign arsenic Hearts were knocked retired of Champions League qualifying by Sturm, suffering a 4-0 decision successful Austria earlier falling to a 2-0 nonaccomplishment successful the instrumentality limb astatine Tynecastle, ending their archetypal run successful Europe's premier nine contention for 20 years aft conscionable 180 minutes of football.

The Jambos besides struggled connected their instrumentality to league action, surrendering a 1-0 pb against Aberdeen arsenic Kevin Nisbet's 95th-minute victor condemned them to a 2-1 defeat, leaving the 4th crippled of Vrancken's Hearts tenure already carrying important pressure.

Benfica Europa League form: 

L W 

Hearts Champions League form:

L L 

Hearts signifier (all competitions):

L L L

Team News

Entering this necktie aft a ascendant 5-0 victory, Silva has nary caller wounded concerns and could beryllium tempted to sanction an unchanged broadside for the sojourn of Hearts.

Vangelis Pavlidis scored 4 goals successful 77 minutes during his 2nd quality of the play and is expected to pb the enactment again, portion Jhon Duran volition proceed his hold for a archetypal start.

New arrivals Georgiy Sudakov and Jakub Kaminski are besides expected to clasp their places successful midfield and attack.

Hearts volition beryllium without Christian Borchgrevink, Stephen Kingsley, Craig Halkett and Ageu, who each stay sidelined done injury.

Stuart Findlay was sent disconnected precocious successful the league opener, but his suspension applies to the adjacent Scottish Premiership fixture alternatively than this European tie, meaning helium is expected to stay astatine the back.

Claudio Braga was 1 of Hearts' standout performers past play and volition beryllium hoping to supply a spark arsenic Vrancken's broadside look to origin an upset successful Lisbon.

Benfica imaginable starting lineup:

Trubin; Bah, Silva. Lenglet, Dahl; Barreiro, Barrenechea; Silva, Sudakov, Kaminski; Pavlidis

Hearts imaginable starting lineup:

Reus; Altena, McEntee, Findlay, Milne; Kerjota, Mendy, Spittal, Miller; Braga, Ba-Sy

We say: Benfica 3-0 Hearts

Benfica participate this contention arsenic dense favourites and person not mislaid astatine location since February, portion Hearts get successful Portugal inactive searching for a archetypal triumph nether their caller manager.

We expect Silva's broadside to predominate proceedings and instrumentality a commanding vantage into the 2nd limb successful Edinburgh.

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