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)
Comply with Al Jazeera Sport’s stay textual content and photograph commentary stream.
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 last, forward of their final 16 conflict in opposition to Benfica.
Ought to the Spanish giants progress from the tie, they’ll face both Borussia Dortmund or Lille within the quarterfinals.
Actual Madrid, the document 15-time winners, in addition to Atletico Madrid, Liverpool, Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain are within the different half of the draw. Barcelona, who prime the Spanish league by some extent, might solely meet these sides in a possible last.
“On this part, there’s no simple recreation – each staff deserves to be right here at this stage, and I believe Benfica too,” Flick advised reporters on Tuesday. “Benfica is a implausible staff [and] we play in an awesome stadium and it’s actually a particular ambiance there.
“Their [fans] push the staff on lots, supporting them, and it is going to be actually robust tomorrow – arduous 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 aspect would pose essentially the most risk 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] these items. We deal with the following match and the following match, and that’s a great way to do that.
“It at all times begins at 0-0, and you must give every little thing… the opposite groups are doing very well and so they at all times wish to win in opposition to 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 aspect, for whom Vangelis Pavlidis scored a 30-minute hat-trick.
“It was sophisticated… we gave up a variety of possibilities. We’ve got to attempt to not concede objectives,” stated Cubarsi, who made his Barcelona debut in January 2024 and has quickly develop into a key determine.
“We’ve got to know how you can handle video games… this can be a two-legged tie and we now have 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, folks say we now have 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 aspect are second within the Portuguese league, advised 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 once they host Barca, and that he expects the Spanish giants to do the identical.
“I can’t predict what number of objectives might be scored within the recreation, however I can predict an awesome recreation of soccer as a result of they’re two groups with a watch for assault,” Lage advised a information convention on Tuesday.
“I believe it’s going to be a troublesome match and we’ll exit for the win. Certain, tomorrow’s consequence might be necessary, however the results of the second leg might be extra decisive.
“We’re going up in opposition to an awesome staff who rating a variety of objectives however we’re additionally wanting on the optimistic issues we’ve completed in opposition to this opponent: the variety of possibilities we’ve had, the variety of instances we’ve been in entrance of the goalkeeper… we imagine we are able to get by means of this tie.”
Benfica supporters need a completely different end result to that late-January rip-roaring encounter at Lisbon’s Estadio da Luz by which Barcelona fought again from two objectives right down to win.
“We’ll attempt to discover the areas our rivals supply us as a result of they usually do,” Lage added. We’ve got to know how you can 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 on account of 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 now have to attend,” Flick stated.
The 20-year-old has performed 24 video games this season, registering two objectives and three assists since getting back from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) harm.
Benfica staff information
Lage confirmed that attacking midfielder Angel Di Maria and midfielder Florentino will miss Wednesday’s recreation as they recuperate however sounded optimistic that winger Renato Sanches must be prepared.
“Crucial factor is for the staff to perform as a staff, as a complete, 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 residence win within the previous 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 last 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
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