FC Barcelona and Benfica are playing for a place in the quarter finals of the Champions League in the second leg of the tie, which takes place at 18:45 in the Luis Companys stadium in Barcelona.
Barcelona go into the second leg having achieved an important victory in the first leg by 0 goals to 1 and having won after playing more than an hour of the match with one player less following the sending off of Cubarsi in the first half. Barcelona were able to suffer thanks to an impeccable performance between the posts by Wojciech Szczęsny, and they were able to take advantage of the few opportunities they had to achieve a victory that puts them halfway to the quarter-finals.
An appointment with recent history
Barcelona’s recent years in the Champions League are to be forgotten. The Blaugrana have not played in the quarter-finals since 2020, which was played in August of that year due to the Covid pandemic. But Barcelona’s debacle came in the last two seasons, where the team was unable to advance to the knockout stages, being embarrassed in the group stage.
But this new format seems to have restored Barcelona’s strength in Europe. They finished second in the new 36-team league format (they fought for the lead until the last moment), and they arrive at the second leg in one of the best moments of the season, with the aim of returning to the top eight teams in Europe.
Almost full team for Barcelona
Barcelona go into the decisive match against Benfica with only one significant absence, that of Pau Cubarsi following his sending off in the first leg. In addition to Cubarsi, the injured Marc André Ter Stegen, Andreas Christensen and Marc Bernal are also out of the squad.
Therefore, Hansi Flick has enough pieces to be able to put together a team with all the guarantees to tie the tie and move on to the next round, something more than a goal for the club, an obligation that they cannot afford to fail to meet.
Di María does not travel to Barcelona
Benfica have entered the second leg hoping to pull off a surprise and turn the tie around. But they will do so with the loss of one of their most important players, Ángel di María. The Argentinean has been struggling with problems in his left leg since the Champions League playoff tie, and although there was speculation that he could force himself for this match, it has now been ruled out as he has not been able to recover sufficiently to take the risk.
Left back Álvaro Carreras will also be out of the match as he will have to serve a suspension for an accumulation of cards. On the other hand, Benfica will be able to count on Tomás Araújo, the center back converted to a full back who hopes to slow down Barcelona’s left wing. They will also have Florentino Luis back, a vital midfielder for the Portuguese team who missed the first leg due to muscle problems.
Barcelona lineup against Benfica
This is Hansi Flick’s official lineup for the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 between Barcelona and Benfica, where the home side start with an advantage after their 1-0 victory in Portugal.
- Goalkeeper: Wojciech Szczęsny
- Defenders: Alejandro Balde, Iñigo Martínez, Ronald Araujo and Jules Koundé
- Midfielders: De Jong, Dani Olmo and Pedri
- Forwards: Raphinha, Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski