At the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium, Barcelona and Benfica face off six days after their first-leg clash to fight for a spot in the 2024/25 Champions League quarter-finals. The tie starts from the 1-0 victory secured by the Catalans last Tuesday at the Estádio da Luz in Lisbon, thanks to a goal from Raphinha, who has already scored 25 goals this season, midway through the second half. Anyone who watched the game knows that the result was quite deceptive, as Benfica had several chances to score and even win the match, but they were denied by an outstanding Szczesny in prime form. However, it must be noted that the home team's dominance was largely due to the red card given to Pau Cubarsí for a last-man foul midway through the first half. Despite being down to ten men, the Blaugrana demonstrated their defensive solidity, striking through Raphinha in their only real chance of the match. The first-leg advantage, though narrow, allows Barcelona to qualify with two out of three possible results, but given their winning and offensive mentality, they are unlikely to adopt a conservative approach. The situation is different for Benfica, who, despite 26 total shots, failed to even find an equalizer. To advance, they must win by at least two goals, a result that would be a major sporting feat given Barcelona's current form under Hansi Flick.

Barcelona's Shape and Key Statistics

Barcelona enters this Champions League Round of 16 second leg without having played their last La Liga match against Osasuna, which was postponed due to the sudden passing of a member of Hansi Flick’s staff. While this break may have given the players a chance to rest, it could also have psychological repercussions ahead of this crucial match.

Regardless, the Catalans are in fantastic form, having remained unbeaten in all competitions since December 21. In 2025, they have accumulated 16 consecutive positive results, with 13 wins and 3 draws.

Benfica's Shape and Key Statistics

Benfica, coming off a 3-0 victory over Nacional in the league, remains tied at the top of the Portuguese Liga with Sporting CP. The defeat to Barcelona last Wednesday was their only loss in their last 10 matches across all competitions (8 wins, 1 draw).

In the Champions League, Benfica has won 4 out of 5 away matches, scoring 8 goals and conceding 4. Their top scorer in this competition is Vangelis Pavlidis, with 7 goals in 11 appearances.

Barcelona vs Benfica Prediction and Tactical Overview

Barcelona and Benfica will meet for the third time this season—and the third time in 2025. In addition to last Wednesday's 1-0 victory, the Blaugrana also won a thrilling 5-4 encounter during the single-league phase in Lisbon.

The expectation for this match is that Benfica will struggle to overturn the first-leg deficit, especially given their failure to score despite playing with a numerical advantage for 70 minutes. Additionally, both teams will be missing key players: Cubarsí for Barcelona and Carreras for Benfica, both due to suspensions.

Considering the last two head-to-head meetings and Barcelona’s unbeaten home record since December 21, the BetMines algorithm predicts Barcelona as clear favorites to win.

• BetMines algorithm prediction for the Barcelona vs Benfica match predicts the 1 sign at 48%
• BetMines algorithm prediction for the Barcelona vs Benfica match predicts the X sign at 23%
• BetMines algorithm prediction for the Barcelona vs Benfica match predicts the 2 sign at 29%

Probable Lineups Barcelona vs Benfica

FC BARCELONA (4-2-3-1): Szczesny; Koundé, Araujo, Martinez, Balde; Pedri, De Jong; Yamal, Olmo, Raphinha; Lewandowski. Coach: Flick

BENFICA (3-4-2-1): Trubin; A. Silva, Otamendi, Dahl; Araujo, Barreiro, Kokcu, Aursnes; Akturkoglu, Schjelderup; Pavlidis. Coach: Lage