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Wouter Vrancken has Hearts survival plan for lethal Benfica with a mass of dangers that can kill Vrancken is well aware of the task facing his men in Lisbon and is plotting a way to try and limit the damage their hosts can inflict Wouter Vrancken insists Hearts must stick together or face being killed by lethal Benfica, writes Craig Swan in Lisbon. But the Tynecastle boss is adamant his team will maintain a positive approach as they look to pull off a massive Europa League shock in Lisbon. Vrancken is fully aware of the mass dangers lurking for his troops in the Estadio Da Luz. Benfica thrashed St Gallen 5-0 on home soil last week to progress through to this tie and the Hearts manager says it’s imperative for his team to be a cohesive unit because the Portuguese will show no mercy. Vrancken said: “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. “A lot of big strengths, I think, especially when you see that last year they didn't lose one game in the league, when you also see them coming back after the defeat in the St Gallen game, it was an easy win here. “So that's a really, 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.” Vrancken’s team lost six goals to Sturm Graz over two legs in their Champions League qualifier and, having also squandered a 1-0 lead at Aberdeen to suffer another defeat in their Premiership opener last weekend, the manager understands that errors simply have to be eliminated from his team’s game. The Belgian gaffer may be well aware that Hearts need to tighten up, but insists it can't just be a case of sitting deep and trying to shut up shop. Vrancken explained: “You know, Benfica are a dominant team, really good in possession, quality on the ball, everything. Skilful, every player on the pitch. “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.” Nonetheless, the warning signs are there from Benfica’s five-goal blitz against the Swiss. Striker Vangelis Pavlidis is obviously a threat having cracked four of those goals against St Gallen in that second leg, but Vrancken says it’s not just about halting the Greek attacker. He said: “You have to consider every danger that they can have. You cannot focus on one thing because then they will play with the other. 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 and also not only defend, but also try to do something with the ball. Because when you're just going to kick balls away, 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.” Vrancken is still missing key stars, but offered a squad update for the tie as he said: “Everybody who's here is fit. 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.”