UEFA Champions League: Benfica vs Barcelona – crew information, kickoff, stream – INA NEWS

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)

Observe Al Jazeera Sport’s reside 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 elevate 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 crew have an “straightforward” path to the Champions League closing, forward of their final 16 conflict in opposition to Benfica.

Ought to the Spanish giants progress from the tie, they are going to face both Borussia Dortmund or Lille within the quarterfinals.

Actual Madrid, the file 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, may solely meet these sides in a possible closing.

“On this part, there’s no straightforward sport – each crew deserves to be right here at this stage, and I believe Benfica too,” Flick informed reporters on Tuesday. “Benfica is a improbable crew [and] we play in a terrific stadium and it’s actually a particular environment there.

“Their [fans] push the crew on rather a lot, supporting them, and it will likely be actually powerful tomorrow – arduous work for us.”

The street to Munich 🏆#UCL pic.twitter.com/XxOXoJwUAD

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 4, 2025

Flick wouldn’t be drawn on who the match favourites are and which aspect would pose essentially the most menace to Barca’s hopes.

“At all times the subsequent match. Benfica is for us the subsequent troublesome opponent,” the German coach stated.

“It’s not good to [talk about] this stuff. We give attention to the subsequent match and the subsequent match, and that’s a great way to do that.

“It at all times begins at 0-0, and you must give the whole lot… the opposite groups are doing very well and so they at all times need to win in opposition to us.”

What occurred the final time Barca met Benfica?

Barcelona beat Benfica 5-4 in Lisbon in an exciting group-stage comeback.

Defender Pau Cubarsi stated his crew needed to focus extra to cease the Portuguese aspect, for whom Vangelis Pavlidis scored a 30-minute hat-trick.

“It was difficult… we gave up numerous probabilities. Now we have to attempt to not concede targets,” stated Cubarsi, who made his Barcelona debut in January 2024 and has quickly turn out to be a key determine.

“Now we have to know learn how to handle video games… this can be a two-legged tie and now we have to provide the whole lot from the beginning,” continued the 18-year-old.

“Every year, Barca must be competing for the whole lot. For me, we’re the most effective membership on the earth. This 12 months, individuals say now we have the most effective pathway within the match, 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, informed 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 identification 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 targets will likely be scored within the sport, however I can predict a terrific sport of soccer as a result of they’re two groups with a watch for assault,” Lage informed a information convention on Tuesday.

“I believe it’s going to be a tricky match and we are going to exit for the win. Positive, tomorrow’s outcome will likely be essential, however the results of the second leg will likely be extra decisive.

“We’re going up in opposition to a terrific crew who rating numerous targets however we’re additionally wanting on the optimistic issues we’ve executed in opposition to this opponent: the variety of probabilities we’ve had, the variety of occasions we’ve been in entrance of the goalkeeper… we imagine we are able to get by means of this tie.”

Benfica supporters desire a totally different consequence to that late-January rip-roaring encounter at Lisbon’s Estadio da Luz wherein Barcelona fought again from two targets all the way down to win.

“We are going to attempt to discover the areas our rivals provide us as a result of they typically do,” Lage added. Now we have to know learn how to benefit from 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 crew 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 are going to see. Yesterday, he didn’t practice as he didn’t really feel so good. He’ll go to the physician once more, now we have to attend,” Flick stated.

The 20-year-old has performed 24 video games this season, registering two targets and three assists since getting back from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) damage.

Benfica crew information

Lage confirmed that attacking midfielder Angel Di Maria and midfielder Florentino will miss Wednesday’s sport as they get better however sounded optimistic that winger Renato Sanches must be prepared.

“A very powerful factor is for the crew to operate as a crew, as an entire, 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 dwelling 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 closing in 1961 with the Portuguese membership lifting the trophy after a 3-2 win in Bern, Switzerland.

The 📸 of the preparation for the #SLBFCB! 🌡#UCL pic.twitter.com/DZ3orNLNZI

– SL Benfica (@slbenfica) March 4, 2025