Champions League: Benfica vs Barcelona – Team news, injury update, predicted lineups and more

Get the injury news, predicted lineups, and key match details for Champions League round of 16 game - Benfica vs Barcelona.

Benfica and Barcelona will face each other again in the Champions League round of 16 first leg at Estadio da Luz. They last met during the group stage, which was a thrilling nine-goal affair. In the end, Barcelona, dominant in attack, scoring a huge number of 28 goals in eight games, finished second in the league table after the group stage.

📍 𝑯𝒐𝒎𝒆 🏟#UCL • #SLBFCB pic.twitter.com/HlqvTuTVYk
— SL Benfica (@SLBenfica) March 5, 2025

Whereas, Benfica finished 16th following the league stage and had to narrowly overcome Monaco 4-3 on aggregate during the playoffs. However, they ended up drawing against high-flying Blaugrana another time. Whereas, Barcelona’s form is exceptional, coming into this match with a 4-0 win over Real Sociedad, taking them back to the top of La Liga.

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Barcelona, who are still unbeaten in 2025, have not lost once in their last 15 games. They’ve also scored multiple goals in 11 out of their last 12 away games. On the other hand, Benfica are also in strong form themselves. Domestically, they are three points behind Sporting Lisbon having played one less game in Liga Portugal.

They’ve also earned a spot in the Taca de Portugal semi-finals. Benfica’s last meeting with Barcelona ended in a dramatic 5-4 defeat. This was the only time in 40 European home games they lost even after scoring four goals. Both teams are thriving offensively and fans can expect another high-scoring spectacle.

Benfica vs Barcelona Match Details

When: 3:00 pm ET on March 5, 2025

Where: Estadio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal

Telecast: TUDN and Paramount+ channels

Streaming: TUDN and Paramount+ apps and websites

Benfica vs Barcelona Team News

Benfica will be without Florentino, who was set to return after serving a suspension. However, he has now been sidelined with a thigh injury. He is joining Alexander Bah, Manu Silva, Tiago Gouveia, and Angel Di Maria on the long list of injured players for the Portuguese side.

However, they will get back Bruma after serving a suspension. In the absence of Di Maria, Vangelis Pavlidis could be leading the attack. The striker, who scored a hat-trick in Benfica’s 5-4 loss to Barcelona, has been involved in nine goals in the tournament this season, including seven goals and two assists.

Gavi stayed back during Barcelona’s match against Real Sociedad with an illness, but he could be back for the match against Benfica. However, Andreas Christensen is suffering from a calf injury and could be out for about four weeks. Whereas, Marc Bernal and Marc-Andre ter Stegen are still recovering from their knee issues.

In the meantime, Raphinha, who should absolutely be starting alongside Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal, is close to touching a Brazilian record in the Champions League. He has been involved in 12 goals so far this season, trailing only Roberto Firmino (17) and Kaka (13) in his contributions in a single season.

Benfica Probable Lineup:

Trubin; Carreras, Silva, Otamendi, Araujo; Aursnes, Barreiro, Kokcu; Bruma, Pavlidis, Akturkoglu

Barcelona Probable Lineup:

Szczesny; Balde, Cubarsi, Araujo, Kounde; De Jong, Pedri; Raphinha, Gavi, Yamal; Lewandowski

Benfica vs Barcelona Champions League Betting Odds

Odds via BetMGM.

Teams	Qualifying Odds	Moneyline	Total Goals Odds
Benfica	+333	Win: +260 Draw: +310	Over 2.5: -275 Under 2.5: +185
Barcelona	-500	Win: -118 Draw: +310	Over 2.5: -275 Under 2.5: +185

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Benfica vs Barcelona

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Moumita Dutta

soccer

Football writer at The Playoffs. I’ve been obsessed with the beautiful game since I was a kid.. Eventually, I realized I could combine my passion for writing with my love for football, and I’ve never looked back. My favorite part of the job is everything—when you’re doing what you love, even a late-night deadline feels like extra time in a thrilling cup final. Lastly, Lionel Messi is the GOAT.