EUROPA LEAGUE BETTING PREVIEW - HEARTS VS BENFICA

Europa League

2026-08-13 - Hearts vs Benfica

A Sports Betting Preview by Auls

Hearts v Benfica
Football: UEFA Europa League Third Qualifying Round Second Leg
Thursday 13th August 2026 - Kick Off 7:45pm

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Hearts

There will be some portions of the Hearts fanbase taking great pleasure in seeing former manager Derek McInnes suffer a difficult opening to his tenure at the helm of Rangers after the departure in the summer. However, the majority will be most pleased that a poor start of their own might be behind Hearts after the thumping 4-0 win over Dundee United this past weekend.

A heartbreaking 2nd place finish in the Scottish Premiership still meant Hearts entered the Champions League Qualifiers, but they were crushed by Sturm Graz to drop into the Europa League Third Qualifying Round. Most expected this to be a very difficult draw and Hearts were crushed 6-1 in Lisbon last week, which all but eliminates them from this competition and will mean having to win a Conference League Play Off Round Qualifying tie to continue the European adventure beyond August.

Hearts had lost the opening 4 fixtures played in all competitions this season to make it 5 straight defeats, but they beat Dundee United here at Tynecastle in what they will hope is the beginning of a turnaround in form. The side have won 8 of the last 9 home games in all competitions, although the exception was a 0-2 defeat to Sturm Graz in the Champions League Second Qualifying Round Second Leg.

You have to believe new manager Wouter Vrancken is going to want to build momentum after the victory on Sunday, but he may also have one eye on the League Cup Second Round coming up this weekend when selecting a team for this Europa League tie.

Benfica

The big home win last weekend means Benfica have one foot in the Play Off Round of the Europa League and playing in that competition is expected after failing to Qualify for the Champions League. Marco Silva is still in his very early tenure as manager of the club, but the disappointing home draw this past weekend will have reminded him of how quickly things can turn at a big Portuguese club.

That 2-2 draw with Academico Viseu came just days after thumping Hearts 6-1 at the Stadium of Light and means Benfica have continued to be consistently inconsistent through the opening couple of weeks of the new season. They have already seen off St Gallen in the Europa League, but Benfica were beaten 2-1 in the First Leg away from home and Marco Silva will be expecting much better from his team in Edinburgh.

Benfica's loss at St Gallen is the only one suffered in the last 14 games in all competitions, but there have also been 5 draws scattered in amongst those results. The side had been unbeaten in 6 away games in all competitions prior to that loss in Switzerland.

Some squad rotation has to be expected with the five goal lead from the First Leg, but the new manager will be selecting a team capable of winning this Second Leg.

Head to Head

Hearts hosted Benfica all the way back in September 1960 when they were beaten 1-2 at home by the eventual European Champions.

Prediction

This Third Qualifying Round tie is effectively over after the 6-1 win secured by Benfica last week, but they should still be good enough to beat Hearts again.

Marco Silva and Wouter Vrancken are both new managers looking to impose their methods on the players they have taken onboard and that likely means stronger teams selected.

Benfica are in League action this weekend and cannot afford to drop more points after a disappointing opening to the season, but Silva may still be looking for his team to find some consistency that comes by winning football matches.

Wouter Vrancken will be hoping his Hearts team can build on the big win over Dundee United, but they have lacked some experience at this level and that was exposed by Sturm Graz in the Champions League Qualifying tie.

The same could be the case on Thursday at Tynecastle and Benfica may end up with a victory of the same margin that Sturm Graz produced here in the Champions League Second Qualifying Round Second Leg earlier this month.

The Pick :

Hearts 1-3 Benfica

FIXED ODDS BETTING :

I'll back Benfica - 1.25 Asian Handicap at 1.90 with Bet365