Benfica hosts St. Gallen in Europa League qualifier trailing 2-1, with Marco Silva making his Estádio da Luz debut

Benfica faces Swiss side St. Gallen on 30 July 2026 in the second leg of the Europa League second qualifying round, with kick-off set for 20:00 at the Estádio da Luz. The Portuguese club must overturn a 2-1 deficit from the first leg in Switzerland to keep its Europa League campaign alive.

The stakes

The winner advances to the third qualifying round, where Scottish club Hearts awaits. The loser drops into the Conference League and will face the winner of the Sheriff Tiraspol versus Maccabi Tel Aviv tie, which the Israeli side currently leads 5-0. A subsequent playoff round then determines the final slots for the Europa League group phase.

Marco Silva's home debut

The match marks Marco Silva's first game at the Estádio da Luz since taking over as Benfica's head coach. Former Benfica striker Jonas, speaking to CNN Portugal, cautioned against harsh judgment if the team is eliminated, citing Silva's short tenure. "Desastroso não, pelo facto de o Marco Silva ter acabado de chegar. Não sei se já deu um mês desde que chegou. Mas o Benfica tem condições, sim, de passar esta eliminatória e chegar à fase de liga," Jonas said.

Jonas, now 42, also endorsed Silva's appointment as José Mourinho's successor, pointing to his long Premier League experience with Fulham. "Como benfiquista, gostei da opção de contratá-lo. Esteve muito tempo na Premier League e à frente de uma equipa que fazia bons jogos," he stated.

Squad update

Silva now has World Cup participants available for selection. Jhon Durán, the Colombian forward on loan from Aston Villa, is also eligible after missing the first leg because he was not registered in time. His availability adds an attacking option as Benfica seeks the goals needed to advance.

Broadcast

The match is being streamed free in Portugal via LiveMode TV.