A 2-1 victory at the Estadio da Luz gives Benfica the upper hand in their semi-final first leg last week, but Braga have a potentially vital away goal. And Paciencia, who has masterminded wins over the likes of Liverpool and Dynamo Kiev in the tournament, is targeting a place in the final in Dublin ahead of Thursday's match. "It's very important for SC Braga and its history, but there are no favourites at this point," he told the pre-match press conference. "It is legitimate to think that our team can go and reach the final in Dublin." Paciencia expects a close game as the two sides play each other on a regular basis, and the former Portugal international also knows what his team must learn from the first leg if they are to progress. "It will be a balanced game because both teams are well known," he said. "The team have to be more cold, make fewer mistakes and show less nervousness." One statistic that Paciencia highlighted is Benfica's inability to keep a clean sheet, their last coming against Stuttgart in this competition back on February 24. "If you look at the Benfica goal it has been breached in 14 straight games so this factor also has to be played in, knowing that it is possible to score goals," he said. "I know my team, per game, manages to create three or four situations to score a goal - hopefully we will be effective." Benfica striker Nuno Gomes believes his side can get the result they require, but admits they face a tough challenge. "We are focused on what must be our task and we know it will be a difficult game and the environment in Braga is a bit hostile," he told the club's website. After missing out on their domestic league title, Gomes and the squad are hungry to reach the Europa League final. "We lost the championship and we are saddened by this, but we still have an important team competition where we have aspirations to reach the final," he said.
