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Benfica, the prominent Portuguese club, kicks off their journey in this season's Europa League on Thursday, as they travel to Switzerland to face St Gallen at the Sitterstadion. Despite the recent conclusion of the World Cup, European clubs are swiftly returning to competitive play, and this matchup marks the first leg of the second qualifying round. Benfica wrapped up a peculiar 2025-26 season without a loss in Portugal's Primeira Liga, but they could only secure a third-place finish under the management of Jose Mourinho, failing to contend for the title. This performance, however, was sufficient to attract Real Madrid's interest, leading to Mourinho's return to Spain. Marco Silva has since taken over at Estadio da Luz. A native of Lisbon, Silva comes back to Portugal after nearly ten years in England, where he gained recognition for his commendable work with Fulham. With limited preparation time for their upcoming European campaign, Benfica played two pre-season friendlies, suffering a 2-1 defeat to Flamengo before bouncing back with a 2-0 victory over Villarreal. Now, Silva's squad is set to navigate through two rounds of Europa League qualifying, along with a potential playoff, following Torreense's unexpected cup final victory over Sporting, which granted them Portugal's automatic qualification spot. In contrast to their prestigious visitors, St Gallen has a minimal presence in UEFA competitions and has seldom made a significant impact on the continental stage.