Barcelona Vs Benfica
Barcelona Vs Benfica Tuesday, 23 November 2021 – 20:00 (GMT)
UEFA Champions League
Pick: Both Teams NOT To Score
Odds: 13/10
Bookmaker: BetVictor
(All betting odds correct at time of writing: 21 November 2021)
Preview: Only one of these teams can realistically follow Bayern Munich into the last sixteen from Group E. Should Barcelona avenge their humiliating 3-0 loss sustained in Portugal when the sides met in September by claiming maximum points at Camp Nou, then Benfica will be eliminated from the competition on the night.
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Table of Contents
Barcelona – Can new boss Xavi see Catalans over the line?
Qualifying for the latter stages of a competition they had previously been crowned champions five times appeared hopeful at best when, after two outings in Group E, the Blaugrana had zero points on the board following chastening 3-0 defeats to Bayern Munich and Benfica. How quickly fortunes can change, though. With victory over Benfica at Camp Nou enough to see them through with a game to spare.
Club legend Xavi has recently been installed as new head coach, replacing Ronald Koeman. The former Barca star inherits a side on the cusp of the last sixteen courtesy of successive 1-0 wins over Dynamo Kiev. He secured his first win at the helm on Saturday with another 1-0 scoreline, edging Espanyol here in Catalonia, with that the 11th occasion across their past 14 matches scoring no more than a solitary goal.
Key Stat: Prior to beating Dynamo Kiev – the team with the lowest UEFA co-efficient in Group E – home and away on Matchdays 3 and 4, Barcelona had remained winless in five Champions League games (D1 L4).
Benfica – Last-16 hopes hinge on completing historic double?
In the history of the Champions League, only two sides has ever managed to defeat Barcelona home and away in group play. That is what last season’s runners-up from Portugal are setting out to achieve at the Camp Nou, a venue Benfica are seeking their maiden triumph having fallen short on all three prior attempts (D1 L2). A third defeat in four visits to Catalonia would see them eliminated from the competition.
The cause for their precarious situation is heavy back-to-back losses to 2019-20 champions Bayern Munich, the Germans backing up a 4-0 scoreline in Portugal by winning the reverse 5-2. Undoing their early good work in Ukraine (1-1 vs Dynamo Kiev) and that memorable 3-0 scalp of Barca in Lisbon. Somewhat ominously, they have one win from their previous 13 away Champions League games (D3 L9).
Key Stat: Having registered consecutive defensive shutouts on Matchdays 1 and 2 (vs Dynamo Kiev and Barcelona), the Portuguese giants have since shipped nine goals across two subsequent Group E outings against Bayern Munich.
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Barcelona Vs Benfica Betting Advice
The result at the Camp Nou could have a huge bearing on which of these sides follows runaway Group E leaders Bayern Munich through to the last sixteen. A win sees Barcelona qualify with a game to spare, making defeat unthinkable for Benfica who would be resigned to the Europa League in the New Year. With so much on the line for both sides, don’t be surprised if we see a tense and nervy encounter unfold.
Barcelona Vs Benfica – Key Facts:
- In the reverse encounter Benfica recorded their first ever victory over Barcelona, doing so at the fifth attempt (D2 L2) with a resounding 3-0 scoreline in Portugal.
- Despite opening with successive defeats, Barcelona are up into second (W2 L2) in Group E, two points better off than a Benfica outfit (W1 D1 L2) coming off heavy losses to Bayern.
- None of the four Barcelona group matches so far finished with both teams among the goals, while the same occurred for three of Benfica’s four.
Benfica scored twice at Bayern in their recent outing in the competition as well as three in the reverse of this fixture, so head to the Camp Nou in fine fettle. However, their record here is poor (D1 L2, GF1 GA4). Fortunately for the visitors, their hosts aren’t the force of old. Both teams scored in just one of these teams eight combined Group E contests so far, which, at odds-against, is a bet too enticing to pass up.
Best Betting Odds – Barcelona Vs Benfica
Barcelona – 3/5 (Betway)
Draw – 16/5 (WilliamHill)
Benfica – 9/2 (Betfair)
