Preview: Benfica vs Aarhus - prediction, team news, lineups

Another ruthless home performance could put Benfica in a commanding position to reach the Europa League main stage when they welcome Aarhus to Estadio da Luz on Thursday for the first leg of their playoff tie.

The Eagles have progressed through the previous rounds thanks largely to emphatic victories in Lisbon, thrashing St. Gallen and Hearts, while the Danish champions dropped into Europe's second-tier competition after being eliminated from the Champions League.

Match preview

Since replacing Jose Mourinho in June, Marco Silva has experienced a few setbacks during his early days as Benfica boss, although his side have responded impressively whenever they have been tested.

Silva suffered defeat in his first competitive game in charge, losing 2-1 away to St. Gallen, but the Eagles responded with a 5-0 victory in the return leg at Estadio da Luz to cruise into the Europa League third qualifying round.

A 6-1 demolition of Hearts in the first leg of that tie then left little doubt about their progress, with a 1-1 draw in Scotland enough to send the Portuguese giants through to the playoff round.

Benfica now head into Thursday's contest with renewed confidence after producing another emphatic result on domestic duty, having thrashed Casa Pia 7-0 away from home on Monday.

Vangelis Pavlidis was the star of the show with a hat-trick, continuing his impressive early-season form and helping the Eagles bounce back from a disappointing 2-2 draw against newly promoted Academico de Viseu on the opening weekend.

The result has breathed new life into the Eagles' early title push after last season's disappointing third-place finish, while also providing momentum ahead of Thursday as the Lisbon giants target another appearance on Europe's main stage following their Champions League knockout playoff elimination by Real Madrid last term.

Aarhus, meanwhile, are appearing in the Champions League for the first time after winning the Danish top flight for a sixth time last season, ending a 40-year wait for their next league title since their previous triumph in 1986.

AGF’s hopes of reaching the main stage of Europe's premier club competition were dashed in dramatic fashion, however, despite producing a remarkable comeback in the second qualifying round by overturning a three-goal first-leg deficit against Lech Poznan before progressing on penalties.

Jakob Poulsen's side appeared to have put themselves in a strong position against Sabah Baku after winning 2-1 in the first leg of their Champions League third qualifying-round tie, only for a 4-0 defeat in the return fixture to send them into the Europa League instead.

The playoff therefore offers Aarhus another chance to reach the main stage of European competition for the first time since their UEFA Cup campaign in 1997-98, although their recent form provides little encouragement.

Aarhus followed the defeat to Sabah with a 2-1 loss away to Viborg last Friday, meaning they have failed to win any of their opening three Superliga matches this season, a record particularly concerning given that the Jutland side have also lost three of their last four meetings with Benfica (D1).

Benfica Europa League form:

Benfica form (all competitions):

Aarhus form (all competitions):

Team News

Benfica do not appear to have picked up any fresh fitness concerns from their victory over Casa Pia, although captain Fredrik Aursnes remains doubtful with an injury that has kept him out since the beginning of the campaign.

Pavlidis and Rafa Silva were both withdrawn around the hour mark in Monday's victory, suggesting that manager Silva was already managing their workloads with Thursday's European fixture in mind.

Pavlidis will therefore be expected to lead the line after his hat-trick, while Rafa will be looking to continue a strong run that has seen him score in five of his last seven starts for the Eagles.

Gianluca Prestianni also appears likely to retain his place after scoring at Casa Pia, his third goal in his last four appearances, while Georgiy Sudakov could continue in the number 10 role.

Aarhus have several absentees of their own, with Frederik Tingager expected to remain sidelined after suffering a foot injury during their previous European tie.
Kevin Yakob and Nicolai Poulsen are also unavailable, with the pair continuing their lengthy recoveries from knee and Achilles tendon injuries, respectively.

Benfica possible starting lineup:

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

Aarhus possible starting lineup:

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

We say: Benfica 4-0 Aarhus

Benfica have enjoyed a far stronger start to the season, possess considerably greater European experience and have already demonstrated how dangerous they can be at Estadio da Luz.

Aarhus' early-season struggles, alongside their recent defensive problems and the Eagles’ attacking form, make another convincing home victory the likeliest outcome, with the hosts capable of taking a commanding advantage into the second leg.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.