Benfica host St. Gallen looking to overturn first-leg defeat in Europa League tie
Benfica welcome FC St. Gallen to Lisbon on 30 July for the second leg of their UEFA Europa League second qualifying round tie, needing to make up ground after losing the first meeting 2-1 in Switzerland on 23 July.
That result means the Swiss side arrive with the advantage, having won the away leg despite Benfica's status as the nominal stronger name in the tie. Nothing is settled, though, with a full second leg still to be played in front of Benfica's own supporters.
Form lines even
Form lines even
Recent results offer little to separate the two sides. Benfica have won three of their last five matches, following a WLWLW sequence, while St. Gallen have also picked up three wins from five, going WWLLW. Both clubs, in other words, arrive with identical win tallies from their recent outings, even if the shape of that form differs.
That balance adds an extra edge to a tie already tilted narrowly in St. Gallen's favour after the first leg. Benfica will need to find a way through against opponents who have already shown they can trouble them, having taken the lead in the tie once already this month.
What is at stake
A place in the next round of Europa League qualifying is on the line, with Benfica required to overturn the deficit on home soil. St. Gallen, for their part, will look to defend the lead they built in the first leg and complete an upset that would eliminate one of the tie's more prominent names.
With both teams closely matched on recent form, the outcome may well hinge on how Benfica manage the pressure of chasing the tie at home, and whether St. Gallen can hold firm against a side desperate to reverse the first-leg result.