Marco Silva is weighing changes to Benfica's side for the second leg of their Europa League qualifier with Heart of Midlothian, a sign the return match is more about control than survival after last week's 6-1 win in Lisbon. The Benfica coach said five players, including Andreas Schjelderup, Richard Rios, Dodi Lukebakio, Amar Dedic and Jhon Duran, have not started an official game this season, and that some of them could be given a first start tomorrow.
That possibility is driving the search interest now, because the tie has shifted from a contest into a selection question. Benfica head into the second leg with a huge cushion, but Silva did not frame the trip as a dead rubber. He said the game starts from zero, that Benfica's aim is still to win again, and that the evening is also a chance to test players who have not yet had a full run in a competitive match. More than 60,000 spectators watched the first leg at the Estadio da Luz, and Silva expects the return to feel different for Heart of Midlothian.
He called it a different environment for Hearts and said the home side will create a top atmosphere, with Benfica's own supporters there as well. That matters because Hearts are expected to react after the heavy first-leg result, even if many inside the support already accept the tie is beyond them. Silva said the Scots will want to show their fans they can produce a different result, and Benfica will need to handle that opening response without losing their own rhythm.
There is still one piece Silva would not give away: which players will actually start. He said the choice will wait until tomorrow, but the logic is clear enough. If Benfica rotate, it is not because they are easing off. It is because the gap from last week gives them room to look at new options while still treating the match as one they intend to win, adjust to and adapt through if the game demands it.
For Benfica, the second leg is a test of depth as much as a continuation of the qualifying job. For Hearts, it is the chance to respond in front of their own crowd and make the scoreline feel less final than it looked in Lisbon. What remains unresolved is not whether Benfica are through in practice, but which of Silva's five unused starters he trusts to begin when the teams line up tomorrow.
