Under difficult circumstances, FC Barcelona will host Benfica Lisbon in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 second leg on Tuesday as they look to defend their 1-0 aggregate lead.
Barca escaped Lisbon with a big 1-0 win last Wednesday, despite going down a man in just the 30th minute of play after Pau Cubarsí fouled Vangelis Pavlidis with the Greek forward through on goal.
Raphinha — as he has done a number of times this season — came to the Blaugrana's rescue, benefiting from a defensive error to score the winning goal in the 61st minute.
The mood around Hansi Flick's squad was dampened considerably over the weekend, however, after first-team doctor Carles Miñarro Garcia suddenly passed away just hours before Barcelona were set to take on Osasuna at the Estádio Olímpico Lluis Companys.
The game was postponed, with players and staff understandably shaken by the horrible news.
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The Catalans still sit atop the La Liga table with 57 points, tied with Real Madrid , but now with a game in hand. Atlético Madrid sit in third on 56 points, having failed to leapfrog their rivals after losing 2-1 to Getafe over the weekend.
Benfica, meanwhile, beat Nacional 3-0 in Primeira Liga action over the weekend, and still sit in second in the standings, three points off Sporting CP.
Where to Watch FC Barcelona vs Benfica
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When: Tuesday, March 11 – 1:45PM ET / 10:45AM PT
Where: Estádio Olímpico Lluis Companys, Barcelona
Where to watch in the United States: CBS Sports, Paramount+
Where to watch in Canada: DAZN
FC Barcelona vs Benfica Betting Odds
Robert Lewandowski
FC Barcelona to win: -300
Draw: +470
Benfica to win: +650
Both teams to score (Yes/No): -190 / +148
Over/Under 3.5 goals: -116 / -106
Robert Lewandowski first goalscorer: +310
Raphinha anytime goalscorer: +120
Lamine Yamal to score or assist: -155
Odds courtesy of FanDuel.
Benfica Projected Lineup vs FC Barcelona
Antonio Silva celebrates scoring for Benfica.
Benfica predicted lineup (4-3-3): Anatoliy Trubin (GK) – Tomas Araujo, Antonio Silva, Nicolas Otamendi, Samuel Dahl – Fredrik Aursnes, Leandro Barreiro, Orkun Kökçü – Kerem Aktürkoglu, Vangelis Pavlidis, Andreas Schjelderup.
Injuries/suspensions: Manu Silva (ACL), Alexander Bah (ACL), Florentino Luis (muscle), Angel Di Maria (thigh), Tiago Gouveia (shoulder), Alvaro Carreras (yellow card accumulation).
FC Barcelona Projected Lineup vs Benfica
Lamine Yamal Barcelona
FC Barcelona predicted lineup (4-2-3-1): Wojciech Szczesny (GK) – Jules Koundé, Ronald Araujo, Ińigo Martinez, Alejandro Balde – Frenkie De Jong, Pedri – Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Raphinha – Robert Lewandowski.
Injuries/suspensions: Marc Bernal (ACL), Marc-André ter Stegen (knee), Andreas Christensen (calf), Pau Cubarsi (straight red card).
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