St. Gallen vs Benfica prediction: expert analysis, possible lineups, July 23, 2026
Europa League
In the Europa League qualification quarter-finals on July 23, 2026, St. Gallen and Benfica will play their first leg. The ambitious visitors are looking to get a good result away from home.
St. Gallen vs Benfica: Team News and Expert Analysis
The club from St. Gallen came close to an incredible achievement—they fought for the championship title. They earned 70 points, but that season Thun, having been promoted from the second division, made a sensational run to first place, leaving St. Gallen as runners-up. However, St. Gallen did manage to win the cup, beating Lausanne-Ouchy 3-0 in the final.
The Lisbon giants started last season with a Super Cup victory, but after a poor spell in September, they changed their coach and brought in Mourinho. However, he failed to win any trophies, and in the Primeira Liga, despite not losing a match, they finished only third, trailing their traditional rivals. Now we'll see what Marco Silva, who has returned home from the Premier League, can achieve.
The Swiss side averaged 1.89 goals scored per match, conceding a third less—1.24 per game. Ambitious Benfica averaged 2.18 goals scored, while conceding just 0.74 per match—three times less.
Previous Matches: St. Gallen vs Benfica
This will be the first time the visitors from Lisbon travel to face this Swiss opponent.
The visitors will try to win, but their opponent is also strong. We suggest betting on "both teams to score" (odds – 1.74).
St. Gallen vs Benfica: Key Stats and Trends
- St. Gallen have lost twice in a row, but before that had won three games in a row, including the cup final
- Benfica have won twice in their last three head-to-head meetings
St. Gallen vs Benfica: Probable Starting Lineups
St. Gallen play in a 1-3-5-2 formation (probable lineup): Watkowiak - Okoroji, Stanic, Gall - Vandermersch, Stevanovic, Buhalfa, Daschner, Gertler - Balde, Vogt
Benfica play in a 1-4-2-3-1 formation (probable lineup): Trubin - Djaló, Otamendi, Araujo, Bah - Aursnes, Rios - Silva, Schjelderup, Prestianni - Pavlidis
Place your bets on the upcoming match and follow your team's performance in the Europa League qualification standings
