Who: Benfica vs Barcelona
What: UEFA Champions League spherical of 16 first leg
The place: Estadio de Luz, Lisbon, Portugal
When: Wednesday, March 5 at 8pm (20:00 GMT)
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5-time winners Barcelona go to Lisbon to face Benfica on Wednesday within the first leg of their Champions League spherical of 16 tie.
Barca haven’t received the competitors since 2015 however completed second within the group stage and are among the many favourites to carry the trophy.
Benfica have reached the ultimate on seven events however have solely lifted the trophy twice – in 1961 and 1962.
What’s Barca’s response to beneficial Champions League draw?
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick dismissed claims that his staff have an “simple” path to the Champions League remaining, forward of their final 16 conflict towards Benfica.
Ought to the Spanish giants progress from the tie, they are going to face both Borussia Dortmund or Lille within the quarterfinals.
Actual Madrid, the file 15-time winners, in addition to Atletico Madrid, Liverpool, Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain are within the different half of the draw. Barcelona, who high the Spanish league by a degree, may solely meet these sides in a possible remaining.
“On this part, there’s no simple recreation – each staff deserves to be right here at this stage, and I feel Benfica too,” Flick instructed reporters on Tuesday. “Benfica is a incredible staff [and] we play in an important stadium and it’s actually a particular ambiance there.
“Their [fans] push the staff on quite a bit, supporting them, and it will likely be actually robust tomorrow – exhausting work for us.”
The highway to Munich 🏆#UCL pic.twitter.com/XxOXoJwUAD
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 4, 2025
Flick wouldn’t be drawn on who the event favourites are and which facet would pose essentially the most menace to Barca’s hopes.
“At all times the following match. Benfica is for us the following troublesome opponent,” the German coach stated.
“It’s not good to [talk about] this stuff. We give attention to the following match and the following match, and that’s a great way to do that.
“It all the time begins at 0-0, and it’s a must to give every little thing… the opposite groups are doing very well they usually all the time need to win towards us.”
What occurred the final time Barca met Benfica?
Barcelona beat Benfica 5-4 in Lisbon in an exhilarating group-stage comeback.
Defender Pau Cubarsi stated his staff needed to focus extra to cease the Portuguese facet, for whom Vangelis Pavlidis scored a 30-minute hat-trick.
“It was difficult… we gave up a number of probabilities. Now we have to attempt to not concede targets,” stated Cubarsi, who made his Barcelona debut in January 2024 and has quickly grow to be a key determine.
“Now we have to know the right way to handle video games… it is a two-legged tie and we’ve got to present every little thing from the beginning,” continued the 18-year-old.
“Annually, Barca must be competing for every little thing. For me, we’re the most effective membership on the earth. This 12 months, individuals say we’ve got the most effective pathway within the event, however I don’t see it like that.”
What’s Benfica tackle the Barca check?
Benfica supervisor Bruno Lage, whose facet are second within the Portuguese league, instructed followers to brace for extra pleasure on Wednesday following the nine-goal thriller within the league part.
Lage stated Benfica, who misplaced the final assembly to a stoppage time Raphinha strike, will keep true to their id of attacking soccer after they host Barca, and that he expects the Spanish giants to do the identical.
“I can’t predict what number of targets shall be scored within the recreation, however I can predict an important recreation of soccer as a result of they’re two groups with an eye fixed for assault,” Lage instructed a information convention on Tuesday.
“I feel it’s going to be a tricky match and we’ll exit for the win. Certain, tomorrow’s outcome shall be essential, however the results of the second leg shall be extra decisive.
“We’re going up towards an important staff who rating a number of targets however we’re additionally wanting on the optimistic issues we’ve performed towards this opponent: the variety of probabilities we’ve had, the variety of instances we’ve been in entrance of the goalkeeper… we imagine we will get by way of this tie.”
Benfica supporters need a totally different end result to that late-January rip-roaring encounter at Lisbon’s Estadio da Luz by which Barcelona fought again from two targets right down to win.
“We’ll attempt to discover the areas our rivals provide us as a result of they usually do,” Lage added. Now we have to know the right way to reap the benefits of the areas that Barcelona will give us – that must be the important thing.”
👥 𝗦𝗤𝗨𝗔𝗗 𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗧! #BenficaBarça pic.twitter.com/RaK1e0Xe8y
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 4, 2025
Barcelona staff information
Barcelona midfielder Gavi is a doubt for Wednesday’s Champions League conflict.
Gavi, who featured in Barcelona’s thrilling 5-4 win at Benfica, was on the bench of their final two league video games and missed a coaching session resulting from sickness.
“We’ll see. Yesterday, he didn’t prepare as he didn’t really feel so good. He’ll go to the physician once more, we’ve got to attend,” Flick stated.
The 20-year-old has performed 24 video games this season, registering two targets and three assists since getting back from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) damage.
Benfica staff information
Lage confirmed that attacking midfielder Angel Di Maria and midfielder Florentino will miss Wednesday’s recreation as they get better however sounded optimistic that winger Renato Sanches must be prepared.
“An important factor is for the staff to operate as a staff, as an entire, no matter who performs,” Lage stated.
Head-to-head
The 2 European giants have surprisingly solely met on 10 events.
Barca have received 4 of these, together with the victory this season, whereas Benfica have solely received twice.
The final of these victories was a 3-0 house win within the outdated group stage in 2021. The return leg that season was a goalless draw at Neu Camp – the final time the golf equipment met till this season.
The opposite Benfica win was the primary assembly between the 2 golf equipment and got here within the remaining in 1961 with the Portuguese membership lifting the trophy after a 3-2 win in Bern, Switzerland.
As 📸 da preparação para o #SLBFCB! 🌡#UCL pic.twitter.com/DZ3orNLNZI
— SL Benfica (@SLBenfica) March 4, 2025