Match preview

Benfica have won three, drawn one and lost two of their six matches in this season's Champions League, with 10 points leaving them in 15th spot, which is enough, at this moment, to make the playoff round.

The Lisbon giants are only three points behind eighth-placed Lille, though, in the race to secure automatic qualification for the next round, so a victory in this contest would do an awful lot for their chances of making the top eight.

Bruno Lage's side will bring a four-game winning run into this match, including a 4-0 success over Famalicao in Portugal's top flight on Friday, and they currently sit second in the Primeira Liga table, three points behind the leaders Sporting Lisbon.

Benfica have won two of their previous nine matches against Barcelona, including the final of the 1961 European Cup, but their only success since then was a 3-0 victory during the group stage of the 2021-22 Champions League.

The Eagles have won four, drawn five and lost five of their previous 14 matches at home to Spanish opposition in Europe, with one of those successes coming this season, beating Atletico Madrid 4-0 on matchday two.

Barcelona have just won the Spanish Super Cup and are through to the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey, but they are on their worst run of form in La Liga for 17 years, having triumphed in just one of their last eight matches in the competition.

Flick's side are off the pace in the La Liga table, currently sitting third, seven points behind the leaders Real Madrid, but the Catalan giants are in an excellent spot when it comes to making the next round of the Champions League.

Indeed, Barcelona have won five and lost one of their six matches in the league phase to collect 15 points, which has left them in second spot in the table, three points behind leaders Liverpool and crucially three clear of Borussia Dortmund in ninth.

Blaugrana have won six, drawn three and lost five of their previous 14 away matches against Portuguese clubs in Europe, but their only success away to Benfica came during the group stage of the 2012-13 Champions League.

Barcelona are in an excellent position when it comes to making the knockout stage of the competition, but a poor result here would leave them in an uncertain position ahead of their final game in the league phase at home to Atalanta BC on January 29.

Benfica possible starting lineup:

Trubin; Bah, Araujo, Otamendi, Fernandez; Aursnes, Florentino, Kokcu; Amdouni, Pavlidis, Akturkoglu

Barcelona possible starting lineup:

Pena; Kounde, Araujo, Cubarsi, Balde; Casado, Pedri; Yamal, Gavi, Raphinha; Lewandowski