Barcelona return to Champions League action when they travel west to visit Benfica in the first leg of the round of 16.
It's been a brilliant debut season so far for Hansi Flick as Barcelona manager. The Blaugrana were formidable in the Champions League league phase, scoring the most goals of any team and coming second only to Liverpool.
The round of 16 draw was favorable for the Catalans, as they avoided the surging PSG and drew Benfica, a team they already beat this year in one of the best games of the European season. Barcelona also avoided the more brutal side of the bracket and have arguably the most accommodating path to the Champions League final.
After a domestic slump defined Barça's end of 2024, the Catalans are still yet to lose in 2025. A resounding victory vs. Real Sociedad over the weekend saw Barcelona win their sixth straight in La Liga, putting them alone at the top of a thrilling title race.
Unlike many teams at this point of the season, Flick has almost the entirety of his squad available for the trip to Lisbon, where he'll surely field his strongest XI in an effort to get the advantage going into the return leg.
Here's how Barcelona could lineup vs. Benfica on Wednesday, Mar. 4.
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Barcelona Predicted Lineup vs. Benfica (4-2-3-1)
GK: Wojciech Szczęsny—The Polish goalkeeper is Barcelona's lucky charm since they're undefeated with him between the sticks.
RB: Jules Koundé—Koundé leads all Barcelona players with 700+ minutes played in the Champions League this season.
CB: Ronald Araújo—Barcelona's captain will get the start after scoring last time out.
CB: Pau Cubarsí—The 18-year-old continues to be stellar in the heart of defense.
LB: Alejandro Balde—Balde will return after Hectór Fort started and scored his first career goal over the weekend.
CM: Frenkie de Jong—It seems De Jong has overtaken Marc Casadó in Flick's midfield depth chart.
CM: Pedri—The numbers might not show it, but Pedri has been one of the best players on the planet this season.
RW: Lamine Yamal—The 17-year-old continues to be Barcelona's most electrifying and arguably most dangerous player from the right wing.
AM: Dani Olmo—Olmo had two assists vs. Real Sociedad over the weekend.
LW: Raphinha—The Brazilian is in near the top of the leaderboard in both goals and assists this season in the Champions League.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Barcelona Predicted Lineup vs. Benfica: Champions League.
