The Europa League qualifiers present a significant challenge for Hearts as they travel to face a team with a wealth of European experience.
Benfica qualified for the top 24 of the Champions League league phase last season, which is a clear sign of the gulf in class between these two sides.
Ahead of the match, we can share some betting tips, as well as some of the best sign up offers available from UK betting sites, which give you free bets to use on matches in the Europa League qualifiers.
Benfica vs Hearts Free Bets & Betting Offers
The bookmakers have priced Benfica as one of the most significant favourites across all first-leg fixtures in this week’s Europa League qualifiers. This is largely based on their formidable home form, which saw them avoid defeat in all 17 home matches in the Portuguese Primeira Liga last season, winning eleven and drawing six.
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Benfica vs Hearts Betting Tips
Benfica welcome Hearts to Lisbon for the first leg of their Europa League qualifier this Thursday, 6th August. With the Portuguese side heavily favoured to take a commanding lead in the tie, find out the analysis behind our expert’s top selections here.
Eagles Expected to Secure Early Advantage
Benfica are not only expected to win but to establish control of the match from the early stages. The data shows a clear pattern of fast starts in their home fixtures, making the Half Time/Full Time market an attractive proposition.
Notably, Benfica have led at half-time and gone on to win each of their last five victories at the Estádio da Luz. This includes their recent 5-0 win against St. Gallen, where they were leading 1-0 after the opening 45 minutes before adding four more goals in the second half.
Hearts, in contrast, have shown vulnerability in the first half of their European away fixtures. The Scottish side trailed 1-0 at the break in their recent away qualifier against Sturm Graz in Austria.
Facing a significant step up in quality, it will be extremely difficult for Hearts to fend off Benfica’s attack in the opening 45 minutes. The hosts will likely look to assert their dominance early and put the tie in a commanding position before the return leg.
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Struggling Hearts May Fail to Score
Hearts’ recent European performances suggest they will struggle to create scoring opportunities in Lisbon. Their exit from the Champions League qualifiers was particularly concerning, as they lost 6-0 on aggregate to Sturm Graz without scoring a single goal.
The underlying metrics from that tie are even more revealing. In the second leg at home, when they needed at least four goals to keep their hopes alive, Wouter Vrancken’s side managed to generate an expected goals (xG) figure of just 0.68. This indicates a fundamental problem with chance creation against organised opposition.
Benfica’s defensive display in their last home game was clinical. Marco Silva’s team restricted St. Gallen to just 28% possession in a 5-0 victory, effectively starving them of the ball and limiting their chances. Hearts can expect a similar experience, making it incredibly difficult to get a foothold in the game.
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