Wouter Vrancken admits Hearts are not at Benfica’s level before Europa League return | OneFootball

Hearts host Benfica on Thursday in the Europa League third qualifying round second leg at Tynecastle. According to Glorioso 1904, Wouter Vrancken acknowledged his team are not at the Portuguese side’s level.

The Belgian was speaking on Wednesday ahead of the return, with the 6-1 defeat in Lisbon having left the tie all but decided. He previewed the tie, discussed the team’s competitive reality and addressed Cláudio Braga’s future. He also said Hearts are not at the standard of Benfica or Sturm Graz.

Even so, he felt the 4-0 league win over Dundee United had lifted confidence. He said players are working hard, trying to learn and that the next step is turning that into results which matter to supporters.

Asked what Hearts need to compete more evenly in Europe, Vrancken pointed to two areas, experience at this level and physical conditioning.

Despite Benfica’s healthy advantage, he praised Marco Silva’s side and suggested it is hard to overlook their quality. He hopes Hearts can show a different image from the first meeting, when the gulf was evident.

Source: Glorioso 1904

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