Each time Barcelona look set to take off and unfold their wings, they can’t assist however discover a hiccup ready their manner.
The identical theme continues in 2025. After a convincing collection of wins over Athletic Membership, Actual Madrid and Actual Betis, the Catalans fell quick towards Getafe within the league and couldn’t take three factors.
It was, evidently, an enormous psychological blow for the Blaugrana to stumble after they wanted to hit again within the league as they’ve now gifted the result in Actual Madrid. Nevertheless, they don’t have lengthy to ponder upon the missed alternative.
On Tuesday night time, Hansi Flick’s males take to the sector towards Benfica within the UEFA Champions League away from residence of their penultimate recreation of the league part.
Evidently, they’ll look to strike again and make a press release that the draw towards Getafe was only a one-off incident.
Barça Common brings you three speaking factors forward of Benfica vs Barcelona.
A difficult opposition
The 2021-22 iteration of the UEFA Champions League was a horror for Barcelona as they completed third of their group and located themselves relegated to the UEFA Europa League.
That season, it was Benfica who certified over them in second place and Barcelona’s dropped factors towards the Portuguese outfit that value them their knockout spot.
The conflict between the 2 sides in Spain noticed them play out a goalless draw, however Benfica slammed three objectives previous the Catalans and took all three factors after they confronted off in Portugal.
Lots has modified since Benfica gained towards the Catalans at Estadio da Luz in 2021 and solely 5 of the gamers who began on the night time are nonetheless on the membership. But, the Blaugrana’s document speaks volumes about what a tough opposition they’re up towards.
Bruno Lage’s males are at present unbeaten of their final 4 video games and have gained three of them. They sit second of their home league with 41 factors in 18 video games and have conceded simply 11 objectives.
Olmo sits out once more
Out injured once more. (Photograph by David Ramos/Getty Photos)
There isn’t a denying that Dani Olmo is among the most gifted gamers Hansi Flick has at his disposal at Barcelona.
The Spanish worldwide has shone brightly from the day he made his debut within the Blaugrana colors and is a perpetual risk within the buildup part owing to a mix of his positional consciousness and mixture play.
His one draw back, nevertheless, is his fragility on the health entrance and even Flick’s employees look like struggling to crack his code.
Olmo merely can’t catch a break with niggles and it has been a recurring theme over the previous a number of years. As soon as extra, he suffered a minor damage after Barcelona’s draw towards Getafe and is out of the squad for the Champions League conflict.
The Spanish worldwide is predicted to be out for ten days, and his unavailability tomorrow brings sure direct alterations to Hansi Flick’s plans.
For starters, Gavi will proceed as Barcelona’s beginning attacking midfielder as he has in current video games and will even play an extended spell than typical provided that Olmo is out.
What it additionally implies, nevertheless, is that the supervisor might flip to Pablo Torre or Fermin Lopez, each of whom make a powerful case to see extra minutes.
Fermin has struggled for minutes this season and has not been his typical goal-threatening self within the last third because the Olympics. He’ll look to utilise his alternative tomorrow to develop again into Flick’s plans.
Torre, in the meantime, was by no means anticipated to play a significant function in Barcelona’s season however has used his sparse minutes to perfection and will even be forward of Fermin on the supervisor’s pecking order at present.
Reaching the doorstep of the High 8
Barcelona’s run in La Liga is worrying certainly, however the workforce has not allowed the identical errors to creep into the UEFA Champions League marketing campaign.
The Catalans have performed exceedingly nicely below stress this season and have been in a position to create wins on demand within the European competitors. Their tremendous kind has given them a cushty place on the desk the place they sit second.
Flick’s males solely dropped factors within the competitors opener towards AS Monaco and have recorded 5 out of 5 wins ever since. They now have a three-point lead over ninth-placed Borussia Dortmund.
Solely the highest eight groups on the leaderboard this yr qualify straight into the Spherical of 16, and groups from the ninth to twenty fourth locations should play a further playoff tie to find out who qualifies.
Ending within the high eight will thus save the Catalans two additional video games on their already hectic profession and a win tomorrow will take them to the doorstep of the place they dream of.
A win over Benfica will take Barcelona to 18 factors, a quantity that even the ninth-placed workforce can attain provided that they win each their video games remaining. Contemplating Barcelona’s objective distinction of +14 furthermore, it could nicely assure the top-8 spot they need.