Predicted Teams for Barcelona-Benfica: Two key changes, two potential doubts

Barcelona will have to pick themselves up from the tragic passing of team doctor Carles Miñarro Garcia on Saturday, which meant that their game with Osasuna was postponed. They will be back in action at 18:45 CEST against Benfica, as they seek passage to a Champions League quarter-final with a 1-0 lead from the first leg.

Hansi Flick is without captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Marc Bernal through injury, while Andreas Christensen, yet to feature since his injury at the start of the season, has been left out of the squad. Pau Cubarsi will also miss the match through suspension after his red card in the first leg.

Barcelona's latest renewal offer to De Jong includes a slight drop in his fixed salary, but the introduction of performance-based incentives. @sport

— barcacentre (@barcacentre) March 11, 2025

Ronald Araujo is tipped by Sport to partner Inigo Martinez at the back in his place – the Basque defender is the only Blaugrana player at risk of suspension for their next game in Europe. While it has been noted that the call between Dani Olmo and Gavi is one of the debates on Flick’s mind, the former is the hot favourite to start again with Frenkie de Jong and Pedri in midfield.

MD concur on that line-up, and it seems Tomas Araujo is expected to recover in time for Benfica. Bruno Lage noted that Samuel Dahl is likely to replace their own suspension in Alvaro Carreras at left-back. Otherwise Benfica are expected to be unchanged too.

#Barca face #Benfica in the early kick-off in the #ChampionsLeague this evening at 18:45 CEST.

MD say Ronald Araujo will replace Pau Cubarsi, but Hansi Flick will be otherwise unchanged. Benfica are set to swap Samuel Dahl for Alvaro Carreras, with a doubt over Florentino Luis. pic.twitter.com/pleTzDGMPh

— Football España (@footballespana_) March 11, 2025

The Eagles are also missing Alexander Bah, Manu Silva and Tiago Gouveia through injury, but on Monday it was confirmed that Angel di Maria would not be back in time to provide his incision and experience either. Lage and Flick both noted in their press conferences that they were neither planning much in the way of changes from the first leg, nor did they expect the opposition to do so. It seems both are happy with the strategy from the first leg.

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