FC Barcelona will begin its journey in the knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League against Benfica in the round of 16. The draw held on Friday in Nyon resulted in a path that is theoretically manageable for the Catalans, although the bracket includes the three surviving German teams in the tournament (Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, and Borussia Dortmund), as well as the runner-up from the 2022/23 edition, Inter Milan.
However, Hansi Flick's team avoided facing Paris Saint-Germain in their first knockout match and, in addition, avoided the most hostile side of the bracket, where other 'heavyweights' like Real Madrid, Atlético, and Arsenal are also present, along with an Aston Villa that could also cause an upset. The 'gunners' will face the winner of the Madrid derby, while PSG will face Aston Villa or Bruges if they survive the knockout against Liverpool. As expected, the 'reds' can only face Barça in a hypothetical final.
Barça faces Dortmund or Lille in the quarter-finals
In this sense, Borussia Dortmund and Lille will be the possible opponents of the blue and garnet team in the quarter-finals if the Catalans fulfill the predictions by eliminating Benfica. Dortmund already faced Barcelona in the league phase, in a thrilling match in Germany resolved in favor of the Catalans (2-3). Guinean Serhou Guirassy scored a brace for the hosts, while Raphinha and Ferran Torres (who also scored twice) secured the victory for Barça.
Borussia finished the league phase in 11th place, which meant they had to play the 'play-off' to access the round of 16. The team now managed by Niko Kovac had no problems eliminating the struggling Sporting CP (3-0 on aggregate), in a tie resolved in the first leg played in Lisbon. There, Guirassy, Groß, and Adeyemi scored. The return leg in Germany (0-0) was a formality. In the Bundesliga, however, 'BVB' is having a forgettable season, as the club is in eleventh place, eight points away from the Champions League spots.
Lille, on the other hand, finished seventh in the league phase, with a surprising record of 5 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses. The team managed by Bruno Génésio surprised Real Madrid (1-0) and Atlético de Madrid (1-3) led by their star '9', Canadian Jonathan David, one of the forwards that Barça has in mind for next summer. Sporting CP (2-0) and Liverpool (2-1) have been the only ones capable of defeating a Lille that, in Ligue 1, is fifth, 18 points behind the leader PSG.
Bayern or Inter, possible rivals for Barça in the 'semis'
If they advance to the semi-finals, Barça could face Bayern Munich or Inter Milan, as long as the Bavarians and 'nerazzurris' overcome their round of 16 ties against Leverkusen and Feyenoord, respectively. Inter finished fourth in the league phase with a surprising record of 6 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss, conceding only 1 goal in eight matches. Interestingly, that goal was scored by Leverkusen. In front of the Italians will be Feyenoord, who recently surprised AC Milan (2-1 on aggregate).
For their part, Bayern advanced to the round of 16 after suffering greatly in the 'play-off' against Scottish Celtic (3-2 on aggregate). Vincent Kompany's team won 1-2 in Glasgow but barely salvaged a draw at home thanks to Alphonso Davies' goal in the 90+4'. In the group stage, the Bavarians were thrashed in Montjuïc (4-1) in what was the first great exhibition of Flick's Barça. Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha ('hat-trick') scored the Catalan goals.
In both ties, both in the quarter-finals and in the semi-finals, Barça will have a disadvantage. The Catalans must play the first leg matches in Montjuïc and the return leg away, despite having finished the league phase in second place. Even so, the bracket seems manageable for the blue and garnet team on their way to the final to be held at the Allianz Arena in Munich on May 31. In the previous final held there (2012), Bayern lost on penalties to Chelsea.