Tips for match Barcelona — SL Benfica

Today, March 11, 2025, the return leg of the 1/8 finals of the Champions League will take place at the Camp Nou stadium, in which Barcelona will host Benfica. The first meeting of these teams took place on March 5 at the Estadio da Luz and ended with a minimal victory for the Catalans with a score of 1-0. Despite the fact that the Portuguese team looked better for most of the match, the only goal was scored by Barcelona forward Robert Lewandowski from the penalty spot in the 67th minute. Interestingly, the penalty was earned by young Lamine Jamal, whose active actions caused a lot of problems for the Benfica defense.

According to the statistics of the first match, the Portuguese had a significant territorial advantage. Benfica made 14 shots at the opponent's goal, of which 4 were on target. Barcelona shot 8 times, of which only 3 shots were on target. In terms of xG, the Catalans had a slight advantage – 1.50 against 0.90 for Benfica. It is also worth noting the discipline of the teams: Barcelona received two yellow cards, and Benfica – one. As for corners, the advantage is also on the side of the hosts – 6-3 in favor of Benfica.

Barcelona are currently in excellent playing form and are first in La Liga. In the last five matches, the team has won four times and only played one draw. The average performance of the Catalans is 2.4 goals per match, while they concede only 0.8 goals per game. Benfica has similar statistics – 4 wins and one defeat in the last five games of the Portuguese championship. On average, the Lisbon team scores 2.4 goals and concede 0.8 goals per game.

As for individual indicators, Robert Lewandowski continues to stand out for Barcelona, ​​​​having scored 3 goals in the last five matches with a total xG of 2.97. Lamin Yamal has also been productive, scoring one goal and making two assists in the same period. Benfica's top scorer is Vangelis Pavlidis, who has scored four goals in the last five games with a total xG of 3.1. The leader in assists is Orkun Kekcu, who has made three assists in the last five games.

The referee for today's game is Frenchman Francois Letexier. The referee is distinguished by his strict approach to the game, showing an average of 4.7 yellow cards per game and awarding penalties in almost every second match, which can be important in a confrontation with such aggressive attacking teams.

Barcelona will try not to sit back in defense at home and actively play on the counterattack, since the minimum score in the first game does not guarantee confidence in advancing to the next round. Benfica has no choice but to go forward and take risks in order to try to win back. This is what promises an open game and goal exchange.

Sportwars.net forecast for the Barcelona - Benfica match: both teams will score, odds 1.66.