Benfica vs Barcelona Prediction 21 January 2025

🔊 Can Benfica secure vital points in the upcoming clash? The Portuguese club is making every effort to advance to the Champions League playoffs, and the results of the last two rounds are crucial for achieving this goal. Although Barcelona is much stronger than its opponent, it's not wise to jump to conclusions too early - the Spanish team has been lacking stability lately. In this situation, we will try to analyze all the details to provide you with an accurate prediction for the match that will take place at the "Estádio da Luz."

📊 Head-to-Head

Benfica and Barcelona meet on the field an average of 2 times per decade. Undoubtedly, all matches took place within the framework of European cup tournaments, specifically the Champions League. The last two meetings, for example, occurred in 2021 when the teams were drawn into the same group. Back then, the Spanish side couldn't win either the home game (0-0) or the away game (0-3), and ultimately finished third in the group stage, moving to the Europa League playoffs.

🔴 Benfica

Benfica had a fairly good start to 2025. This month, the team participated in 5 matches, secured 4 victories, and won the Portuguese League Cup by defeating Sporting in the final (1-1, 7-6 in the penalty shootout). In their last game, the "Eagles" easily dealt with Famalicão (4-0), with Leonardo Barreiro scoring a hat-trick. Regarding the Champions League, things are going well for Benfica. After the 6th round, the team confidently holds a spot in the top 24, having a 3-point lead over the 25th position. However, in the last two rounds, Bruno Lage's squad will face significant challenges as they have to play against Barcelona and Juventus, so it's too early to talk about a guaranteed playoff spot. In the upcoming clash, the coaching staff will be unable to count on 2 players, including Ángel Di María.

🔵 Barcelona

Overall, Barcelona should be satisfied with their recent results. The team achieved 4 wins in 5 matches and won the Spanish Super Cup by thrashing Real Madrid in the final (5-2). Only the last game against Getafe (1-1) was somewhat disappointing. Due to this draw, their gap from first place increased to 7 points. Although the Catalan club displayed quality football, with an xG metric of 2.55 goals and creating 6 scoring chances, they couldn't capitalize on them. However, Hansi Flick's squad has no reasons for concern in the Champions League. The team is in second place in the standings with 15 points and is highly likely to remain in the top 8. As for the upcoming match, Barcelona will be without 4 players, including Dani Olmo, who suffered a calf muscle injury against Getafe.

⚽️ Goal Prediction

Judging by the lineup, the upcoming match promises to be quite exciting. Firstly, both teams score a lot in their domestic leagues. For instance, Benfica has scored 42 goals (only Sporting has more), while Barcelona has netted 52 goals (the best record in La Liga). Secondly, both teams always play attacking football regardless of their opponent's reputation. Benfica and Barcelona are expected to exchange goals, so our betting option is both teams to score (yes).

🚩 Corner Prediction

There is a common stereotype that attacking teams often win corners. And as analysis shows, this statement has substantial grounds: it's a very common occurrence. Benfica and Barcelona are no exceptions. The "Eagles" earn an average of 6.5 corners per game. The Spanish club's numbers are slightly lower - 5.9 corners. In this situation, a reliable bet seems to be total corners over 9.5.

📝 Editorial Prediction

According to bookmakers, Barcelona is the favorite for the upcoming clash. However, we dare to suggest that Benfica will not lose. This season, the Portuguese club consistently demonstrates a high level of play, leaving only positive impressions. The "Eagles" rarely suffer defeats, especially on their home turf, where they have recorded only three unsuccessful results. Even Atlético Madrid, who flew to Portugal for the second round of the Champions League, was completely outplayed (4-0). Moreover, Barcelona is far from its optimal form. If at the start of the season they were dominating everyone in their path, now they struggle even with home support against Las Palmas (1-2) and Leganes (0-1). We believe that the upcoming match will end with a score of 2-2.