Toulouse vs Benfica Prediction and Betting Tips: Rafa Silva headlines Europa League play-off second leg

Ligue 1 strugglers Toulouse must overcome a 2-1 deficit in Thursday's all-important Europa League play-off second leg with Champions League dropouts Benfica.

Silva has been a menace for Benfica's opponents this campaign. The attacking midfielder holds an impressive return of 20 goal contributions across 22 league games in Portugal, delivering an even split of goals and assists to form this tally.

His last domestic outing saw him find the net, as well as deliver an assist for one of his teammates in The Eagles' rampant 6-1 home win over Vizela.

That was his 13th assist of the season and having provided a whopping five shot-creating actions in 90 minutes against Toulouse last week - almost half the tally he managed in six UCL group fixtures previously - Silva may just have foreshadowed how effective he can be at this level of European football.

The top scorer for odds-on favourites Benfica boasts 10 league goals and 15 across all competitions this term. 30-year-old experienced head Rafa Silva has scored in two of his last four European games and it's well worth remembering that three of those outings were in the Champions League, where he found the net against knockout phase entrants Real Sociedad and RB Salzburg.

His side mustered 27 attempts in the first leg with Toulouse - Silva personally contributing three of those himself - with fellow forward Angel Di Maria providing both goals to earn the Portuguese club's advantage in this reverse meeting.

The misfortuned Toulouse are there to be exploited on Thursday and Silva has the makings of a man to deliver that punishment by getting himself on the scoresheet for the fifth time in his last six matches.