The story so far: Varese picked up a 75-72 win in the first leg in Lisbon, a result which gives them a slight advantage in this tie that will reward the winner with a place in the Basketball Champions League Regular Season.

VARESE vs. SL BENFICA - Thursday at 20:00 CEST

VARESE (Basketball Champions League) – It might sound as an exaggeration to refer to the first game between Benfica and Varese as the tightest encounter that took place on Tuesday, since on the same night we witnessed a 76-all draw (between Dornar and Tartu), but it was the only game that featured 17 lead changes and 11 ties, while neither ever led by more than seven points.

So should we expect a similar thriller on Thursday? Varese last season were far more strong at home than on the road, both domestically and in Europe, and there is no reason to believe their fans suddenly turned less supportive over the summer. But on the other hand the margin is so slim that relying on home comforts would be perilous, and Varese have enough veterans on the roster to understand this.

“The entire tie hangs on a three-point shots, that it the distance that separates us,” said Varese guard Daniele Cavaliero. “So when it’s down to only three points, anything can happen during the course of 40 minutes. The first game was tough, very complicated and we will give everything on Thursday at home but nobody on our team believes that it’s going to be easy.”