Benfica vs Aarhus – News and Probable Lineups

Benfica’s dominant display at home could place them in a strong position to advance to the Europa League group stage as they host Aarhus at Estadio da Luz on Thursday in the opening match of their playoff round.

The Eagles have made their way through previous stages largely owing to convincing victories in Lisbon, hammering St. Gallen and Hearts, while the Danish champions found themselves in Europe’s second-tier tournament after their elimination from the Champions League.

Match overview

Since taking over from Jose Mourinho in June, Marco Silva has faced a few challenges in his early tenure as Benfica’s head coach, but his team has responded well when under pressure.

Silva was defeated in his first competitive match in charge, going down 2-1 to St. Gallen, but the Eagles bounced back with a 5-0 win in the return leg at Estadio da Luz to progress into the Europa League third qualifying round.

A comprehensive 6-1 victory over Hearts in the first leg left little doubt of their advancement, with a 1-1 draw in Scotland enough to see the Portuguese giants through to the playoff round.

Benfica approaches Thursday’s match with renewed confidence after another emphatic performance domestically, overcoming Casa Pia with a 7-0 victory away on Monday.

Vangelis Pavlidis was the star of the match, scoring a hat-trick, which continued his impressive form at the start of the season and allowed the Eagles to recover from a disappointing 2-2 draw against newly promoted Academico de Viseu in their opening game.

This result has invigorated Benfica’s early title push following a disappointing third-place finish last season, providing momentum ahead of Thursday as the Lisbon club aims for another opportunity on the European stage after being knocked out in the Champions League playoff round last term by Real Madrid.

Aarhus, on the other hand, is competing in the Champions League for the first time after clinching the Danish league title for a sixth time last season, ending a 40-year wait since their last league triumph in 1986.

However, AGF’s aspirations to reach the main stage of Europe’s elite club tournament were thwarted dramatically, despite staging a remarkable comeback in the second qualifying round by overturning a three-goal deficit from the first leg against Lech Poznan before advancing via penalties.

Jakob Poulsen’s team seemed to be in a strong position against Sabah Baku after a 2-1 win in the first leg of their Champions League third qualifying round tie, only to suffer a 4-0 loss in the return match that sent them into the Europa League instead.

The playoff thus offers Aarhus another opportunity to reach the main stage of European competition for the first time since their UEFA Cup run in 1997-98, although their recent performances have not been encouraging.

Aarhus followed their loss to Sabah with a 2-1 defeat to Viborg last Friday, meaning they have yet to secure a victory in their first three Superliga matches this season, a particularly concerning record given that the Jutland club has also lost three of their last four encounters with Benfica (D1).

Team News

Benfica does not seem to have any new injury concerns following their win over Casa Pia, although captain Fredrik Aursnes remains a doubt due to an injury that has sidelined him since the start of the campaign.

Pavlidis and Rafa Silva were both substituted around the 60-minute mark during Monday’s win, indicating that manager Silva may have been managing their fitness with an eye on Thursday’s European clash.

Therefore, Pavlidis is expected to lead the attack after his hat-trick, while Rafa will aim to keep up a strong run that has seen him score in five of his last seven starts for the Eagles.

Gianluca Prestianni is also likely to retain his spot after netting against Casa Pia, marking his third goal in his last four appearances, while Georgiy Sudakov might continue in the number 10 position.

Aarhus has its share of absentees, with Frederik Tingager likely to remain out with a foot injury sustained in their previous European match.
Kevin Yakob and Nicolai Poulsen are also unavailable, as both are currently recovering from knee and Achilles tendon injuries, respectively.

Benfica probable starting XI:

Soares; Bah, Araujo, Lenglet, Dahl; Barreiro, Barrenechea; Silva, Sudakov, Prestianni; Pavlidis

Aarhus probable starting XI:

Hedenstad; Rosler, Storch, Kahl; Anderson, Knudsen, Jonsson, Emmery; Bech, Bogere, Arnstad

Benfica has made a notably stronger start to the season, possesses significantly more European experience, and has already shown how formidable they can be at Estadio da Luz.

The early-season challenges faced by Aarhus, compounded by their recent defensive struggles and the Eagles’ attacking prowess, suggest that another convincing home victory is the most likely outcome, with the hosts capable of taking a significant lead into the second leg.