FC Barcelona and Benfica will face each other in the Round of 16 of the Champions League 2024/25

FC Barcelona and Benfica will meet in the round of the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League 2024/2025, following the draw held this Friday in Nyon (Switzerland). After a spectacular league phase, qualifying directly as second, the Catalans will face the Portuguese team in a two-legged tie with the home advantage.

The first leg will take place on March 4/5 of 2025 at the Estádio da Luz in Lisbon, while the return leg will be on March 11/12 of the same month at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in Barcelona.

The dates of the two matches in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 are as follows:

• First Leg: Tuesday, March 4 or Wednesday, March 5, 2025 at Estádio da Luz (Lisbon)
• Return Leg: Tuesday, March 11 or Wednesday, March 12, 2025 at Estadi Lluís Companys (Barcelona)

The team managed by Bruno Lage is a familiar face for the Blaugrana. Not long ago, this season, there was a visit from Barça to the Estádio da Luz to face the 'Eagles' in the qualifying phase for the knockout rounds. The match ended 4-5, with an epic comeback at the last moment, in favor of the Catalan entity.

Benfica, an old acquaintance

The Portuguese managed to overcome the Champions League playoffs after eliminating AS Monaco with an aggregate score of 4-3, defeating them in the Principality 1-0 and drawing 3-3 at Estádio da Luz. Hansi Flick's side already knows what it is like to face the Lisbon team in the current edition of the continental tournament and are aware of the difficulty of this matchup.

In the match between both teams on matchday 7 of the league phase, the Catalans achieved a brutal victory with a comeback that is now part of the competition's history thanks to a goal from Raphinha in the last second of the match (4-5), so, after being paired, the tie promises great emotions.

Benfica, the 'easy' route

The reality is that the Portuguese team was the preferred option for Liverpool and Barça. It is by no means an easy opponent, in fact, the Blaugrana struggled to defeat them. However, the possibility of PSG being the opponent made the Portuguese route the preferred one. Benfica is having an irregular season. They are currently second in Liga Portugal, just two points behind Sporting with Viktor Gyökeres. They are the champions of the League Cup and are in the quarter-finals of the Taça. They reached the Round of 16 after defeating Monaco in a hard-fought tie (4-3) and finishing 16th in the league phase, with 4 wins, 1 draw, and 3 losses.

In the match against Hansi Flick's team, what they are was evident. A team with very good offensive potential, despite barely being able to count on a struggling Di María, who cannot be given any space. However, they are also a team that can falter due to individual errors and disconnections. They have a squad with very young players, typical of one of Europe's major talent exporters. It is a team that forces you to maintain concentration throughout the match, as they do not forgive mistakes. Even so, it is the 'easy' option for Barça.

Matchups for the Round of 16:

1. Benfica vs FC Barcelona
2. PSG vs Liverpool
3. Bruges vs Aston Villa
4. Dortmund vs Lille
5. PSV vs Arsenal
6. Feyenoord vs Inter
7. Atlético vs Real Madrid
8. Bayern vs Leverkusen

When are the Round of 16, quarter-finals, and semi-finals of the Champions League held?

The dates of the matches for the knockout phases of the Round of 16, quarter-finals, and semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 are as follows:

Round of 16

• First Leg Matches: Tuesday, March 4 and Wednesday, March 5, 2025
• Return Leg Matches: Tuesday, March 11 and Wednesday, March 12, 2025

Quarter-finals

• First Leg Matches: Tuesday, April 8 and Wednesday, April 9, 2025
• Return Leg Matches: Tuesday, April 15 and Wednesday, April 16, 2025

Semi-finals

• First Leg Matches: Tuesday, April 29 and Wednesday, April 30, 2025
• Return Leg Matches: Tuesday, May 6 and Wednesday, May 7, 2025

When and where is the final of the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 held?

The final of the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 will be played on Saturday, May 31 at the Munich Football Arena (Munich, Germany).

• 🗓️ Date: Saturday, May 31, 2025
• ⏰ Time: 21:00 hours (CET)
• 🏟️ Stadium: Munich Football Arena (Munich, Germany)