Benfica vs Barcelona

The two sides desperate to get off the mark in the UEFA Champions League this season go head-to-head at the Estádio da Luz as Benfica take on Barcelona.

After being held to an uneventful scoreless draw to Dynamo Kyiv in their Group E opener, Benfica will hope that football does not follow the script. The hosts have lost their inaugural home Champions League fixture in their last three campaigns in a row and are winless in six consecutive European H2Hs (D3, L3) since a 3-2 triumph in the 1961 European Cup final. However, the ‘Eagles’ can fall back on an intimidating recent form, having gone unbeaten in all 12 competitive matches this season (W10, D2), including a resounding 100% win percentage in Primeira Liga. Additionally, the Portuguese heavyweights have won their last four home outings in the Champions League, netting 2+ goals on each occasion, qualifiers included. Topically, Jorge Jesus’ men have scored at least twice in all five competitive home victories this term.

On the other hand, Barcelona are unlikely to have put an embarrassing 3-0 opening matchday loss to Bayern Munich behind as of yet. It was Barca’s first defeat in an opening Champions League match of a campaign for the first time since 1997/98 and the first game in the competition since 2003/04 in which they failed to attempt a single shot on target! Another slip-up here would see Barcelona start a new European campaign with two straight defeats for only the second time in the club’s history, last doing so in the 1972/73 UEFA Cup first round. Worryingly, though, the Catalans have lost their last two fixtures in the Champions League group stage, one more reverse than they had in their previous 39 at this stage (W30, D8). Also, you have to go back to 2000/01 to find the last time Barcelona suffered back-to-back group stage defeats in the same Champions League campaign.