Barcelona travels across the Iberian Peninsula for the penultimate game of the Champions League and meets Benfica in Lisbon.
After losing to Monaco with ten players on matchday one, Barca have rattled off five straight wins in the competition and sit second in the league stage table. Ferran Torres’ heroics from the bench Playing at Borussia Dortmund last month means they are all but assured of a place in the round of 16.
However, their momentum gained at the start of 2025 was dashed by Getafe on Saturday night as Jose Bordalas’ side fought tooth and nail for a point to further dent Barca’s La Liga title hopes.
Hansi Flick’s side have already won silver in the Supercopa de Espana this year, with that success also offset by Benfica’s triumph in the Taca da Liga final over Sporting CP.
Bruno Lage’s side sit 15th in the league stage table and are aiming for a place in the top eight, but they will need a result here. Benfica are also locked in an exciting three-way battle for the Primeira Liga title due to Sporting’s malaise since Ruben Amorim’s departure.
Here is 90 minutes Guide for Tuesday Champions League Collision.
Benfica vs. Barcelona H2H record (last five games)
Current form (all competitions)
| Benfica | Barcelona |
|---|---|
| Benfica – Famalicão 4-0 – 17.01.25 | Getafe 1-1 Barcelona – 18.01.25 |
| Farense 1-3 Benfica – 01/14/25 | Barcelona – Real Betis 5-1 – 01/15/25 |
| Sporting CP 1-1 (6-7p) Benfica – 11/01/25 | Real Madrid 2-5 Barcelona – 12/01/25 |
| Benfica 3-0 Braga – 08/01/25 | Athletic Club 0-2 Barcelona – 01/08/25 |
| Benfica – Braga 1:2 – 04/01/25 | Barbastro 0-4 Barcelona – 01/04/25 |
| country | TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Discovery+, Discovery+ App, TNT Sports 1 |
| United States | Paramount+, fuboTV, TUDN.com, Univision NOW, TUDN App, TUDN USA, UniMas |
| Canada | DAZN Canada |
Angel Di Maria will miss the game against Barcelona for the 20th time on Tuesday evening as the Argentine star is a major doubt due to injury. The former real Madrid They have only won six of 19 games against them, scoring four goals.
The hosts will certainly be without Renato Sanches and Tiago Gouveia due to thigh and shoulder problems.
Kerem Akturkoglu has had an excellent debut season in Portugal and is the man Barcelona need to stop in the transition period. The Turkish international has scored 17 goals in all competitions this season.
Predicted lineup of Benfica against Barcelona (4-3-3): Trubin; Bach, Araujo, Otamendi, Fernandez; Aursnes, Florentino, Kokcu; Amdouni, Pavlidis, Akturkoglu.
There were some concerns about Marc Casado’s status after Flick substituted him in the second half against Getafe, but the midfielder’s absence was not injury-related and he is in the traveling squad.
Despite being strongly linked with a return to Girona, Eric Garcia is also traveling with the Barcelona squad.
The guests will once again be without Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Marc Bernal and Inigo Martinez due to injuries.
Ferran Torres and Frenkie de Jong are being considered for the starting XI, but Dani Olmo will not be back in Flick’s XI after suffering a muscle injury at the weekend.
Predicted line-up of Barcelona against Benfica (4-2-3-1): Pity; Kounde, Araujo, Christensen, Balde; Married, De Jong; Fermin, Gavi, Ferran; Lewandowski.
Given Barca’s strong position in the table, Flick could take a break in Lisbon and rotate some key players. However, the visitors are blessed with impressive depth, especially in creative positions.
Their La Liga title hopes are starting to fade, but this team at the top is as good as any on the continent. We’re unlikely to see their utopian repeat on Tuesday night if Flick makes changes, and Benfica’s desperation for a result should ensure the contest will be exciting.
We’ve seen superior Benfica teams in the recent past, that’s for sure, but they fancy their chances of a result on home soil if Flick actually tinkers with his team.
