How Barcelona could line-up against Benfica in the UEFA Champions League
Barcelona will take on Benfica in the penultimate UEFA Champions League group stage match at the Camp Nou. This will be Xavi’s second game in charge of Barcelona and they will be keen to avenge their 0-3 loss to Benfica away from home earlier in the Champions League.
Barcelona had a successful start to their new era under Xavi as head coach. The Catalan giants beat their neighbours and arch-rivals Espanyol 1-0 in the derby and will look to continue with the same momentum in the Champions League as well.
Winning against Benfica will send Barcelona through to the next round of the Champions League
Barcelona have had a pretty underwhelming campaign in the UEFA Champions League this season. They began Europe's premier international competition with successive losses by a three-goal margin against Bayern Munich and Benfica. The defeat to Benfica away at the Estadio da Luz was especially damning.
However, the Catalan giants have since recovered their footing in the group. Two narrow wins over Dynamo Kyiv and Benfica’s losses to Bayern Munich and their draw against Kyiv mean that Barcelona are in second position in Group E with six points.
Xavi: "If we win we are through. We have to be optimistic and believe in it... But without forgetting that in their stadium we lost 3-0."
If they win against Benfica at Camp Nou, their Champions League knockout round qualification will be sealed before they visit the Allianz Arena to take on Bayern Munich. Barcelona are suffering from an injury crisis at the moment with several key players including the likes of Ansu Fati, Pedri and Ousmane Dembele out injured.
Xavi’s team will also be without pure natural wingers as both Ilias Akhomach and EZ Abde, who played on the flanks against Espanyol, cannot appear in this Champions League match. In light of such a shortage, Barcelona may have to utilize Gavi, Yusuf Demir and Philippe Coutinho on the wings.
Here’s how Barcelona could line-up against Benfica in the Champions League:
GK: Marc-Andre ter Stegen
While Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s performances in recent seasons have left a lot to desire, there’s no doubt that Xavi will continue to bet on him. During the pre-match press conference, Xavi stated:
"Ter Stegen is fundamental for us. He is among the three best goalkeepers in the world. He has personality, character, great footwork and insurance. For me he is a guarantee."
Although he didn’t have much to do, Ter Stegen had a positive performance against Espanyol. His build-up from the back was crucial as usual and the German goalkeeper also made a few stops when he was called into action. Ter Stegen finished the game with three saves, a clean sheet and 100 per cent passing accuracy. He will look to do the same against Benfica.
RB: Oscar Mingueza
According to the latest reports, Sergino Dest has returned to training with the group following his absence due to injury. However, there is considerable doubt regarding his and Sergi Roberto’s availability against Benfica.
Oscar Mingueza started on the right flank in the Barcelona derby against Espanyol. However, his performance was topsy-turvy on the night and he was one of the worst players for Barcelona on the night. Xavi will surely demand more defensive solidity from Mingueza in this game.
CB: Gerard Pique
Ronald Araujo might compete for the spot but Pique did fairly well against Espanyol and his former team-mate Xavi might choose to stick with him in this game. Gerard Pique is the most experienced defender in the Barcelona backline and has won three Champions League titles.
In the previous match, he was the player who was the furthest behind. This allowed Eric Garcia to progress ahead with the ball with the knowledge that an attacker wouldn’t be through on goal in case he lost the ball.
CB: Eric Garcia
Eric Garcia had an outstanding match against Espanyol and had a clear role in Xavi’s system. Despite a shaky start to his return to Barcelona which included being sent off in the previous Champions League match against Benfica, Garcia is slowly starting to discover his form.
Eric Garcia was a beast on the ball when playing as a defender when playing against Espanyol a few days back. Becoming a very crucial piece of Barca's puzzle, especially as it allows the team to control the tempo. #FCBarcelona #LaLigaSantander https://t.co/V7NigHmhAa
Against Espanyol, he carried the ball well and made excellent line-breaking passes. The Spaniard even found players as advanced as Gavi and Memphis Depay on the wing. Garcia will be determined to remain compact at the back and help Barcelona progress to the knockout rounds of the Champions League.
LB: Jordi Alba
Jordi Alba also had a new role to play in his first game with Xavi as head coach of Barcelona. The Catalan full-back had to stay wide to stretch the field and this left him with very little space to work with. Despite that, Alba had a strong showing against Espanyol and got into the final third several times making crosses that resulted in half chances.
Alba’s combinations with Gavi were one of the key points in the Barcelona derby. Not only did they exchange passes and read each other well, Alba also drifted wide every time Gavi tried to shift centrally to create with the ball at his feet. The veteran's experience could be of good use against Benfica in the Champions League.