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Hearts' gameplan for Benfica as Wouter Vrancken outlines how to avoid a killing in Lisbon Belgian is clear on what he wants in the European first leg Wouter Vrancken will demand composure and bravery from Hearts against Benfica as he looks for calm heads in the Estadio da Luz. The Europa League third qualifying round, first leg, is a treacherous assignment for the Tynecastle side against a long-established giant of European football. Vrankcen knows his side must keep calm in front of a near-60,000 crowd. The Belgian head coach will instruct players to use the ball sensibly and to avoid playing long when it is not necessary. He has seen mistakes undermine his team’s efforts in all three of his competitive games in charge so far. Hearts defended poorly to lose 4-0 and 2-0 against Sturm Graz in the Champions League second qualifying round. They then opened their Scottish Premiership campaign with a 2-1 defeat at Aberdeen, losing two late goals after leading 1-0. Management hope to ensure this tie stays alive ahead of next week’s return leg in Edinburgh. Vrancken outlined how he wants his team to approach Benfica. Despite Greek striker Vangelis Pavlidis scoring four times in last week’s tie against Swiss side St Gallen, Hearts will be instructed to be wary of every home player when they attack - and to keep possession when they win the ball. “You have to consider every danger that Benfica can have. You cannot focus on one thing because then they will play with the other,” explained Vrancken. “They have quality all over the pitch. It's a good challenge for us to show that we can work together in difficult moments. “And also, not only defend, but also try to do something with the ball. Because when you're just going to kick balls away, [Clement] Lenglet and [Tomas] Araujo know what to do with those long balls. Then they come back faster than the ball is going forward. We have to give ourselves some air by doing good things on the ball and showing some guts on the ball. We will see tomorrow. “The biggest belief is that we're making steps, and we have to make a few more. Against a side like Benfica, it's also a good way to show how to stick together in every part of the game. Because when you lose this, then they will, for sure, kill you in these little moments. “Benfica are a dominant team, really good in possession, quality on the ball, everything. Every player on the pitch is skilful. But the principle is also that it's not because the other team is maybe a better team on paper that you cannot be a positive team in the way you approach the game. It's not only positive when you have the ball all the time and you're constantly attacking. “I think you can also be positive in how you defend, how you stick together, how you put your block together, for example. But we're trying not to be in our own six-yard box, for example. We want to show that we can work together and also, in these moments, show that we are a good team.” Benfica finished third in the Portuguese Primeira Liga last season despite not losing a single league game. They destroyed St Gallen 5-0 in the Estadio da Luz last week to progress on a 6-2 aggregate and set up this meeting with Hearts. “They have a lot of big strengths, I think, especially when you see that last year they didn't lose one game in the league,” pointed out Vrancken. “So, for sure, when you also see them coming back after the defeat in the St. Gallen game, it was an easy win here. “That’s a really strong side in different kinds of ways. They find the spaces easily when you open up. They have good infiltrations from the second line. They have good connections with each other. They're clinical in both boxes. There are a lot of good things to say about this team.” Hearts brought a 22-man squad with them to the Portuguese capital and Vrancken reported no injury concerns for those who travelled. He is already without an entire defence given Craig Halkett, Malachi Fagan-Walcott, Stephen Kingsley and Christian Borchgrevink are all injured - as is midfielder Eduardo Ageu. “Everybody who is here is fit,” said Vrancken. “Injury-wise, I think the guys who were not in the European squad are the guys who are injured. The guys who are with the team are all fit to play.”