Good evening everybody and welcome along to another MARCA in English live blog, this time taking you through the Champions League Round of 16 second leg clash between Barcelona and Benfica at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Montjuic, Barcelona.
This crucial second-leg tie of the round of 16 comes amid an emotional week for the Catalan side following the tragic loss of first-team doctor Carles Minarro Garcia, an event that led to the postponement of their weekend LaLiga fixture.
The Blaugrana are seeking to reach the Champions League quarterfinals in consecutive seasons, and while they head into the clash unbeaten in their last 16 competitive games, they will be facing a Benfica team desperate to overturn the 1-0 deficit. Raphinha’s long-range strike in the first leg gave Barcelona the edge.
For Benfica, the trip to Barcelona presents a challenging but not impossible task. Bruno Lage‘s men will be eager to capitalize on their strong domestic form, having returned to winning ways over the weekend with a convincing 3-0 victory against Nacional.
Benfica will need to break an unfavorable trend, as they have been eliminated from five of their last six Champions League knockout ties after losing the first leg. Furthermore, their record on Spanish soil is not encouraging — only two wins from 13 trips to LaLiga opponents.
Barcelona have proven strong at home, winning five of their last seven matches on their own turf, including a dominant 4-0 thrashing of Real Sociedad in their most recent home outing.
Barcelona vs Benfica LIVE – Latest Updates
Barcelona vs Benfica – Possible lineups
Barcelona continues to grapple with injuries. Andreas Christensen, Marc-André ter Stegen, and Marc Bernal remain sidelined. Cubarsí will serve a suspension, while Robert Lewandowski, who was rested over the weekend, is expected to return. Gavi may be named among the substitutes after recovering from illness.
Benfica’s injury list includes Alexander Bah, Manu Silva, Tiago Gouveia, and Ángel Di María, while Álvaro Carreras is suspended. Bruma remains ineligible for the knockout stage, and Tomas Araujo is doubtful
?Barcelona possible starting XI: Szczesny; Kounde, Araujo, Martinez, Balde; Olmo, De Jong, Pedri; Yamal, Raphinha, Lewandowski
Benfica possible starting XI: Trubin; Santos, Silva, Otamendi, Dahl; Aursnes, Barreiro, Kokcu; Akturkoglu, Schjelderup, Pavlidis
Where to watch Barcelona vs Benfica?
For fans in the United Kingdom, Barcelona vs Benfica can be seen on TNT Sports 1 (discovery+). Fans in Ireland can tune in via RTE, Virgin and Livescore.
US-based fans will be able to see Barcelona vs Benfica on CBS and TUDN.
What time does Barcelona vs Benfica start?
Barcelona vs Benfica is a 18:45 CET kick-off, which is local time in Spain. That means fans in the UK and Ireland can watch the game at 17:45 GMT.
Fans in the USA can tune in to watch Barcelona vs Benfica at 12:45ET / 9:45 PT.
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