St. Gallen: fighting spirit at home despite major personnel setbacks

St. Gallen earned their place in the Europa League after finishing second in the Swiss top flight and lifting the domestic cup. Their preseason began with encouraging performances, but stronger opposition quickly exposed areas that need improvement, with Enrico Maaßen’s team suffering defeats against Austria Lustenau (0-1), Lyon (3-6), and Norwich (0-3).

Ahead of their European opener, the Swiss side are dealing with a number of squad problems. Defensive options have been reduced, with Stephan Ambrosius, Cyrill Mai, and Nino Weibel among those unavailable, while Malamine Efekele and Behar Neziri are also sidelined. The departure of leading scorer Alessandro Vogt to Hoffenheim has created another challenge, leaving new striker Andrin Hunziker with the task of quickly filling the attacking void.

Benfica: Silva’s first competitive test comes with high expectations

Benfica arrive in Switzerland for their first competitive fixture under new head coach Marco Silva. Their preseason results have been mixed but encouraging overall: after a 1-2 defeat against Flamengo, the Portuguese giants responded with a convincing 2-0 victory over Villarreal, suggesting the team is gradually absorbing the new manager’s tactical approach.

The main question marks remain in defense and on the left side of the attack. António Silva’s future is still uncertain, although he remains part of the squad for now, while Jayden Umeh continues his recovery from injury. New signing Jhon Durán will also miss the opening qualifiers after failing to be registered in time. Nevertheless, Benfica’s greater squad depth, experience, and European pedigree make them the favorites heading into the tie.

Match facts and head-to-head history

Both teams have scored in seven of Benfica’s last nine matches.

Four of St. Gallen’s last six competitive fixtures have seen goals from both sides.

St. Gallen have scored at least two goals in seven of their last nine official matches.

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