The popular singing group, Hot Chocolate, used the words ‘I believe in Miracles’ in their 1975 smash hit, and Hearts fans will hope that their favourites can defy the odds when they square-up to Portuguese giants, Benfica, in the Europa League, third qualifying round, first leg, in Lisbon tonight (Thursday, 8pm).
Benfica are the huge favourites to take the tie in the iconic, 65,000-capacity, three-tier, Estadio da Luz (Stadium of Light), and move forward and Claudio Braga, Hearts’ Portugueuse-born winger, was asked in the media briefing if the Jambos could cause an upset.
Last season’s Player of the Year in Scotland replied: “I understand what you say, and why most people think like that, but in football there are no impossibles.”
The 26-year-old (pictured by Nigel Duncan) added: “Nobody comes here to lose, and we are not a club that wants to do that.”
Braga acknowledged that Benfica are a big team and stronger on paper than Hearts, but he said: “We need to commit less mistakes and that’s a big difference from the previous games that we’re going to need to do.
“The truth is we’re going in hope we can damage them.”
The second leg is at Tynecastle next Thursday.
