St Gallen have lost their last two friendlies
Benfica will play their first competitive game under new manager Marco Silva
Recommended bet: Back Benfica to win and both teams to score @ 31/20
Marco Silva's reign at Benfica gets under way on Thursday when his side travel to Switzerland to take on St Gallen in the second qualifying round of the Europa League.
Silva decided to end his spell as Fulham manager at the end of last season after positive talks with Benfica.
The Portuguese outfit finished third last season in the Primeira Liga and wanted a fresh approach and the former Everton coach will look to make a fast start.
St Gallen finished second in the Swiss Super League last season, but they will no doubt expect a tough day at the office against one of the biggest teams in Europe.
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Team News
St Gallen are still without Behar Neziri, who remains sidelined with an ACL injury. Nino Weibel faces a race against time to prove his fitness due to a knee injury.
Benfica signed striker Jhon Duran on loan on Monday, but it is unlikely that he feature in this contest.
Jakub Kaminski, Georgiy Sudakov, Enzo Barrenechea and Gabriel Indio have all joined the club on permanent deals, while Clement Lenglet has joined on loan from Atletico Madrid.
Gianluca Prestianni remains suspended, while Bruma is sidelined through injury.
Silva will have to wait for Andreas Schjelderup, Fredrik Aursnes, Dodi Lukebakio and Richard Rios to return to full fitness, with the quartet all on leave after featuring at the World Cup.
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The stats
St Gallen come into the game on the back of two heavy pre-season defeats, having lost 6-3 to Lyon and 3-0 to Norwich.
Before that, they had recorded successive friendly victories, while they ended last season unbeaten in four games in all competitions.
While St Gallen have played four friendlies, Benfica have only had two games to learn under Silva.
They started pre-season with a 2-1 defeat to Flamengo, before beating Villarreal 2-0.
Benfica ended last season with a six-match unbeaten run away from home.
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Prediction
St Gallen should be a touch sharper than Benfica, due to the fact their pre-season schedule is more advanced.
They have every chance of scoring past a Benfica team that have conceded in eight consecutive away matches.
Silva's team are expected to play on the front foot and should be exposed as they find their fitness levels, but their squad is far better than that of their hosts.
St Gallen were hammered by Lyon and Norwich in recent weeks, so expect Benfica's class to shine through at full-time.
The latest St Gallen vs Benfica odds are now available on LiveScore Bet
Back Benfica to win and both teams to score at 31/20 with LiveScore Bet
Score prediction: St Gallen 1-2 Benfica
