Benfica vs. Barcelona: UCL Match Preview, Odds & Prediction

Get ready for the highly anticipated matchup between Benfica and Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League. Check out our match preview, odds, and prediction for this exciting game.

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Daniel A.
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Benfica vs. Barcelona: UCL Match Preview, Odds & Prediction

Benfica vs. Barcelona: UCL Match Preview, Odds & Prediction

Barcelona will take on Benfica, a Portuguese powerhouse, in Lisbon on Tuesday night. They will be looking to win their sixth Champions League encounter in as many matches this season.

With 15 points after six matches in the Champions League, Hansi Flick's team is in second place, while Benfica is in 15th place, with 10 points after six matches in the league this season.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

With 10 points, Benfica is in 15th place in the Champions League this season; they have won three, drawn one, and lost two of their six matches. At this stage, they have enough to go to the knockout round.

Winning this match would greatly improve the Lisbon giants' hopes of finishing in the top eight. They are just three points behind Lille for automatic passage into the next round.

Bruno Lage's team is now in second place in the Primeira Liga, three points behind leaders Sporting Lisbon. They are riding a four-game winning streak into this match, which included a 4-0 victory against Famalicao in Portugal's top flight on Friday.

Benfica defeated Barcelona 3-0 in the 2021–22 Champions League group stage, their lone triumph since then. Benfica had won two of their nine prior encounters against Barcelona, including the 1961 European Cup final.

This season, the Eagles trounced Atletico Madrid 4-0 on matchday two, adding to their record of four wins, five draws, and five losses in their last fourteen home meetings against Spanish competition in Europe.

Barcelona is now experiencing its worst La Liga run in 17 years, winning just once in their previous eight matches. This is despite having recently won the Spanish Super Cup and advancing to the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey.

Even if Flick's team isn't exactly flying high in La Liga (they're in third place, seven points lag behind Real Madrid), the Catalan giants are in a fantastic position to advance in the Champions League.

In fact, Barcelona has accumulated 15 points from six league matches, with five victories and one loss. They are now in second place, three points behind Liverpool and, most importantly, three ahead of Borussia Dortmund in ninth place.

In their last 14 European away meetings against Portuguese teams, Blaugrana has gone 1-6 with a tie-3 and a loss-5 record; nevertheless, their lone win away to Benfica came in the 2012–13 Champions League group stage.

Barcelona has a great chance of advancing to the next round if they win this match, but a loss would put them in a precarious situation heading into their last league game on January 29 at home against Atalanta BC.

Benfica x Barcelona Team News

While Tiago Gouveia and Renato Sanches will be out with injuries, Angel Di Maria is also in question, but other than that, Benfica should be OK for their match against Barcelona.

The loss of Di Maria would be devastating because of his impressive goal-scoring and assist-receiving statistics in 27 games this season. Nevertheless, the Argentine may still get a bench spot.

Kerem Akturkoglu, a 26-year-old who has dazzled with 10 goals and seven assists, will start for Benfica in this match, while Vangelis Pavlidis will spearhead the home team's attack.

The Catalan club's latest injury setback is Dani Olmo, a Spain international who strained a muscle in Saturday night's 1-1 La Liga tie with Getafe.

Marc Casado is available to play for Barcelona in Portugal despite the absence of Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Marc Bernal, and Inigo Martinez. Casado's replacement against Getafe was a tactical decision, and he is fit to play.

Head coach Flick may start Gavi in the number 10 role for this match, with replacements Ferran Torres and Frenkie de Jong likely to be picked.

Our Predictions

Full-time draw @ 4.20 on Sky247.ng

Barcelona, the Catalan giants, have had a fantastic season in Europe, but the classy Benfica side has the players to hurt Barcelona. Either team could win at home or away on Tuesday, but we're betting on a close game that ends in a draw.

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