Benfica, after a hard-fought 4-3 aggregate win over Monaco in the playoffs, have earned themselves another date with Barcelona, who finished just behind Liverpool in the group stage. It’s a highly anticipated matchup as both teams have been showing strong form heading into this encounter.
Barcelona’s manager, Hansi Flick, and their passionate fanbase have long been eyeing a return to European glory, 10 years after their last Champions League triumph. With the draw placing them away from heavyweights like Liverpool, Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, and PSG, Barcelona fans are daring to dream of a final in Munich. However, before they can think about that, they’ll need to get past either Bayern Munich or Inter Milan in the knockout stages.
The Blaugrana made a statement in the group phase, especially after bouncing back from an opening loss to Monaco. With 19 points from their next 21, they topped their group with ease.
Their attacking prowess has been undeniable, scoring an impressive 28 goals across eight group-stage matches—more than any other team in the competition. Their offensive dominance continued domestically, where Barcelona went on a seven-match streak of scoring at least two goals per game, including a stunning 4-0 win over Real Sociedad this past weekend.
With this win, Barcelona regained the top spot in La Liga and stretched their unbeaten run in 2025 to 15 matches in all competitions. Their attacking firepower and consistency away from home—11 of their last 12 matches seeing multiple goals—have solidified their status as serious contenders for the Champions League.
On the other side, Benfica has quietly been building momentum. Their group stage finish wasn’t particularly flashy, but they showed resilience in their 1-0 away win against Monaco, followed by a tense 3-3 draw in the second leg to advance. Now, after a strong run of form, they find themselves sitting level on points with Sporting Lisbon at the top of the Primeira Liga.
Benfica has also made it to the semi-finals of the Taca de Portugal, edging out Braga 1-0 in late February.
Bruno Lage’s side has been in red-hot form recently, with seven wins and one draw from their last eight matches. Benfica has become known for their high-scoring encounters in Europe, with their 10 Champions League games this season seeing a total of 35 goals, making them a thrilling team to watch.
Their 5-4 loss to Barcelona back in January, where they scored four goals but still ended up on the losing side, was the only time in 40 European matches that they failed to win when scoring four goals at home.
As the two teams meet again, the stakes are higher than ever. With both clubs riding high on their current form and attacking flair, this Champions League clash promises to deliver more thrilling, high-intensity action.
Will Barcelona’s offensive juggernaut prove too much for Benfica, or can the Portuguese side continue to defy expectations on the European stage? We’ll find out soon enough at the Estadio da Luz.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Barcelona boss Hansi Flick has revealed that Gavi, the former Golden Boy, would have started against Real Sociedad had he not been sidelined with an illness. However, the Spain international has made the trip with the squad and is expected to be fit to return on Wednesday.
On the downside, Andreas Christensen has picked up a calf injury and is likely to miss around four weeks of action. Marc Bernal and Marc-André ter Stegen, meanwhile, are both recovering from serious knee injuries, but are gradually working their way back to full fitness.
Up front, Raphinha, who is part of a lethal attacking trio alongside Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal, is chasing a national record in the Champions League. His 12 direct goal involvements this season (7 goals, 5 assists) make him the third-most prolific Brazilian player in a single edition of the tournament, behind only Roberto Firmino (17 in 2017-18) and Kaka (13 in 2006-07).
For Benfica, manager Bruno Lage would have welcomed the return of Florentino, the midfield anchor, from a Champions League suspension. Unfortunately, Florentino sustained a thigh injury in mid-February and will be unavailable for the visit of Barcelona.
He’s not the only one on the treatment table, though. Benfica will also be without ACL injuries to Alexander Bah and Manu Silva, as well as Tiago Gouveia, who is recovering from a knee issue. Former Real Madrid winger Ángel Di María is also sidelined due to a muscle injury. However, Bruma has returned from a three-match ban carried over from the Europa League, following his red card while playing for Braga against Union Saint-Gilloise.
With Di María missing, all eyes will be on the prolific Vangelis Pavlidis, who will be expected to carry the attacking load. Pavlidis scored a stunning hat-trick in Benfica's 5-4 loss to Barcelona in the group stage and has been in excellent form, already contributing to nine goals this season (7 goals, 2 assists).
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Benfica possible starting lineup:
Trubin; Araujo, Otamendi, Silva, Carreras; Kokcu, Barreiro, Aursnes; Akturkoglu, Pavlidis, Bruma
Barcelona possible starting lineup:
Szczesny; Kounde, Araujo, Cubarsi, Balde; Pedri, De Jong; Yamal, Gavi, Raphinha; Lewandowski
EXPERT PREDICTION
Benfica 1-4 Barcelona
