Benfica knocks out Hearts with a draw in Edinburgh, advances 7-2 on aggregate

With the tie effectively decided after the first leg, Benfica only needed to manage the result in Edinburgh. And while the road wasn't entirely without scares, the club got the job done: a 1-1 draw with Hearts at Tynecastle Park sealed its place in the next qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League with a commanding 7-2 aggregate scoreline.

Last week's rout in Portugal had left the Scottish side with virtually no hope. Overturning a five-goal deficit was close to impossible, and the second leg only confirmed that reality, though Hearts did manage to make things uncomfortable for their opponents at times, a Benfica side that started the match with two notable names in the lineup: Colombians Richard Rios and Jhon Duran both got minutes from the opening whistle.

The home side, far from giving up, pushed for a result that would at least give their fans something to cheer about. And they got it through sheer persistence: in the 77th minute, Magnusson put Hearts ahead 1-0, briefly lighting up Tynecastle Park. The hope of closing out the tie with a win, even a symbolic one, lasted all of sixty seconds.

Because Benfica answered almost immediately. Just a minute after the Scottish goal, Lukebakio struck to restore the equalizer and snuff out any hope of a home celebration. The match finished 1-1, a result that changed nothing from what had already been settled in the first leg and left the Portuguese club through to the next round on the strength of that wide aggregate margin.

Up next, a Danish opponent

With the tie now behind them, Benfica already knows its next challenge on the European trail: Denmark's Aarhus GF. The first leg of that tie is set for Thursday, August 20, with the return leg following a week later on August 27.

The winner of that matchup will move directly into the Europa League league phase, the goal the Portuguese club has been chasing since this qualifying run began. For Hearts, though, this year's European adventure is over, even if Magnusson's goal let them send their fans home with at least one moment to savor.