Swiss Shock: St. Gallen Beat Benfica 2-1 in Europa League Qualifier
St. Gallen recorded a surprise 2-1 home victory over Portuguese giants Benfica in the UEFA Europa League second qualifying round.
Swiss side St. Gallen caused an upset in the UEFA Europa League second qualifying round, defeating Lisbon's Benfica 2-1 at home.
The hosts took the lead in the 37th minute through Aliou Baldé, but Rafa Silva equalized just seven minutes later. The winner came in the 80th minute when German midfielder Tom Gäls restored St. Gallen's advantage.
Benfica, who played in last season's Champions League, were forced into the Europa League after finishing third in the Portuguese league. St. Gallen, runners-up in the Swiss league, earned their spot in the competition.
In other matches, Ferencváros of Budapest beat Twente Enschede 2-1 away, with Haiti international forward Leony Joseph scoring a brace (14', 80'). Hajduk Split defeated Pafos 2-0 at home, with goals from Michele Šego and Dario Melnjak within nine minutes early in the second half. Hajduk will face Red Bull Salzburg in the next round.
Other results: Hammarby 1-1 Anderlecht, Qarabağ 0-0 CSKA Sofia, Tromsø 0-1 Hradec Králové, Beşiktaş 1-0 Midtjylland, Sheriff Tiraspol 0-5 Maccabi Tel Aviv, and Dynamo Kyiv 2-3 PAOK.
