Benfica vs Barcelona Prediction 5 March 2025
๐ Are the "Eagles" capable of causing trouble for the in-form Barcelona? One of the Round of 16 matchups in the Champions League is the clash between Lisbon's Benfica and Catalonia's Barcelona. The first leg will take place at the "Estรกdio da Luz" in the capital of Portugal. The main referee for the match has already been announced: it will be the reputable German Felix Zwayer. Let's take a look at the preliminary predictions from the bookmakers for the game: victory for the "Reds" - 3.7, victory for the "Blaugrana" - 1.82.
Head-to-Head
Interestingly, the teams faced each other in the current edition of the Champions League. In the January encounter at โEstรกdio da Luz,โ the Portuguese almost caused an upset, losing 4-5. Overall, the โEaglesโ have only defeated โBarรงaโ once in history - during the group stage of the 2021/22 Champions League.
Head-to-head statistics Benfica - Barcelona
Benfica Lisbon Team Overview
The current winning streak of Benfica has reached 8 consecutive matches. It is worth noting that the Portuguese team participated in the playoff round of the Champions League, where they managed to deal with Monaco not without difficulties (1:0; 3:3). The head coach of the club, Bruno Lage, is known for his high degree of flexibility and is not a supporter of a single tactical formation. Thus, the initial plan, which involves playing with 3 central defenders, regularly transforms into a 4-2-4 when in possession. It's necessary to highlight Benfica's remarkable activity in the opponent's half. The "Eagles" are among the leaders in the number of "big chances" created this season in the Champions League - 36 (5th result). Significant personnel issues are noticeable for the Lisbon team. Renato Sanches, Manu, Tiago Gouveia, Florentino, and Alexander Bah are in the infirmary. Due to not being included in the squad for the Champions League playoffs, newcomer Bruma will not be able to help the "Reds".
Match Results: Benfica Lisbon
FC Barcelona Team Overview
The quality of football displayed by Barcelona under the management of Hansi Flick is impressive. In the league stage, the "Blaugrana" have accumulated 19 points and secured the 2nd position in the standings. It is noteworthy that Barca became the most prolific team in the previous Champions League stage, averaging 3.5 goals per match. One of the leaders of the Spanish club this season is the Brazilian winger Raphinha. He has already recorded 41 points in the goal+assist system across all competitions. It is not surprising that the "Blaugrana" management is eager to extend his contract, which expires in 2027. The progress of several Barcelona players has been made possible by the implementation of Hansi Flick's tactical ideas. Key aspects include deploying a single defensive midfielder, forming a 4-1-2-3 formation, and focusing on flank attacks. Special attention is given to the freedom of movement provided to Lamine Yamal, who has control over the entire right flank. In Barcelona's infirmary, Marc Bernal, Andreas Christensen, and Marc-Andrรฉ ter Stegen are still out.
Match Results: FC Barcelona
โฝ๏ธ GOAL PREDICTION
In 5 of the last 7 head-to-head matches between Benfica and Barcelona, there were no more than two successful shots on goal. Bruno Lage is known for his pragmatism and is unlikely to take risks with the result in the first game of the confrontation. Our editorial team anticipates a slow-paced football game from both sides, resulting in a modest number of goals scored. A rational bet seems to be - total under 3.5 goals.
๐ฉ CORNER PREDICTION
In 4 of the last 5 matches involving Benfica, there were no more than 10 corner kicks. A similar trend is observed in 5 of the last 7 previous head-to-head encounters between the "Eagles" and the "Blaugrana". We note modest numerical values for corners earned by the teams in the current European season: "Glorious" - 4.2, "Barรงa" - 5.1. Taking these theses into account, our choice is - total corners under 10.5.
Editors' Prediction
Both clubs are in excellent form, which makes it difficult to choose a bet. It is very telling that only once in history have the โEaglesโ been heavily defeated by the โBlue and Garnetโ - in the 2021/22 season (0:3). Considering the fact that Bruno Lage meticulously approaches each match of his team, there is no doubt that the Lisbon team will offer worthy resistance to Barca. Our prediction for the final score is 1:1. The key bet is Benfica's victory with a handicap (+1).
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Betting Tips: Benfica Lisbon - FC Barcelona
in 7 of last 8 games.
in 7 of last 8 away games.in 6 of last 7 games (UCL).
in last 8 games.in last 15 games.in last 11 away games.in last 7 games (UCL).
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