The schedule of the Barça-Benfica match for the return leg of the Round of 16 sparks controversy

The FC Barcelona can boast of having one foot in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League 2024-2025. In their visit to Benfica, and despite playing more than 70 minutes with one man down, the team led by Hansi Flick delivered a brutal show of authority at the Estádio da Luz and, guided by a lethal Raphinha and a titanic Szczesny, left Lisbon with a crucial victory in their pocket (0-1).

Due to their spectacular league phase, in which they finished in second place with a record of 6 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss, the Catalans will face the return leg of the tie with the home advantage, which is why the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys will witness the decisive clash between the fans and the Lisbon team for the ticket to the next round of the competition.

The schedule of the return leg ignites controversy among Barça fans

However, despite the day being expected to be one of full celebration due to the vital victory achieved by the blaugranas in Portuguese territory, the Barça fans have expressed their outrage over the schedule chosen by UEFA for the match that will be held in Montjuïc next Tuesday, March 11.

In the return leg of the tie between Barça and Benfica, the ball will start rolling at 18:45 hours (CET). A puzzling decision by the governing body of European football, as generally, the most interesting matches tend to be played from 21:00 hours CET. For this reason, the blaugrana fans have made their discontent public through social media with comments like "The 18:45 time is outrageous" or "return match for tourists" in the post where the club confirmed the news.

Apart from the controversy, the atypical schedule of the match between the blaugranas and the 'eagles' allows the winner of the tie to be the first to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Champions League. Once this clash is completed, the winner will only have to wait for their opponent in the next round, which will come from the tie between Borussia Dortmund and Lille, also played on Wednesday, March 12 at 18:45 hours (CET).