FC Barcelona and Benfica are set to clash once again, this time for the decisive second leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16. With the first leg ending in Barcelona's favor, manager Bruno Lage of Benfica is confident as he prepares his team to take on the Catalan giants at Spotify Camp Nou.
Addressing the media, Lage expressed optimism about Benfica’s chances, stating, “If we can create as many chances as we did previously, we can win.” Despite two earlier defeats to Barcelona, Lage insisted there’s still hope to turn the tie around. He acknowledged the strength of the Barcelona side, particularly their prowess at maintaining possession and applying pressure. “Barcelona likes to keep the ball, play deep, look for one-on-ones, and press,” he highlighted.
Benfica must create ample scoring opportunities. “The most important thing is to create opportunities. It is decisive, but we must have the quality to take advantage of them. Coming back would give us a lot of prestige,” Lage continued. Reflecting on the previous matches, he shared, “We felt we could have won the two previous games because we created chances, and we believe we can do it now.”
Analyzing Barcelona as a collective unit rather than singling out individual stars, Lage did compliment standout players, particularly Raphinha, drawing from his experiences observing the Brazilian at Sporting CP and Leeds. “He is doing great at Barcelona,” he remarked. He also mentioned Lamine Yamal as one of the best players globally, emphasizing, “Our strategy is not to focus on one player. There is Lewandowski, Pedri, who I really like, and Szczesny, who was key in the first leg.”
Another aspect of Benfica's preparation revolves around the absence of their defender Pau Cubarsí, serving as they critically analyze opponents’ defensive strategies. Lage elaborated, “We prepare the strategy to put pressure on the centre-backs. We look at their preferred passing angles and decision-making when building play from the back.”
On the side of Barcelona, the situation is equally compelling. Coming off a 1-0 victory against Benfica from the first leg, Barcelona remains undefeated, powered by their top players. They faced difficulties recently, with their last scheduled La Liga match against Osasuna being postponed due to the death of their medical team’s doctor.
The team features among the most deadly strikers in the game today, with Robert Lewandowski firmly at its forefront. If Lewandowski scores during the match against Benfica, he will equal Ronaldinho and Bakero with 94 goals, reaching the twentieth position on the club’s all-time list. The Polish striker is enjoying phenomenal form, leading the Pichichi classification with 21 goals this season and tallying nine goals, securing the second position for top scorer in the UEFA Champions League.
“Lewandowski is still keeping up with top-tier performance, scoring 34 goals this season alone, from 38 matches played,” noted one sports analyst. His effectiveness not only serves his stature but has prompted discussions about extending his contract, potentially until 2027.
Barcelona has confirmed Lewandowski’s participation for the upcoming match against Benfica after he missed the previous La Liga match. Coach Hansi Flick selected him for the squad, missing only Pau Cubarsí, who is suspended due to obtaining two yellow cards during the first leg of the competition.
FC Barcelona will likely line up with Wojciech Szczesny as goalkeeper, alongside defenders Kounde and Balde, completing their backline with Araujo and Garcia. Their formation adopts the 4-2-3-1 layout, where Pedri and De Jong will play as defensive midfielders. Midfield duties fall to Yamal and Raphinha, supported by Gavi as the attacking midfielder, with Lewandowski leading the attack.
The anticipated kickoff for the match is scheduled at 17:45 CET today, officiated by French referee François Letexier. Both teams, eager to advance past this stage, will need to overcome each other’s strategies and capitalize on every scoring chance.
Looking forward, the outcomes of unnecessary mistakes might make the difference, especially for Benfica, who look to overturn the first leg’s narrow defeat.
Tonight’s clash promises to offer high stakes as both teams vie for the opportunity to progress to the Champions League quarter-finals. Will Benfica find the resolve to overturn their previous setbacks, or will Barcelona continue their unbeaten streak?