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Every time Barcelona seem ready to take off and spread their wings, they can’t help but find a setback waiting for them.
The same theme continues in 2025. After a resounding run of victories over Athletic Club, Real Madrid and Real Betis, the Catalans fell short against Getafe in the League and were unable to get the three points.
Needless to say, it was a heavy psychological blow to the blaugrana stumble when they needed to counterattack in the League, since now they have given the leadership to Real Madrid. However, they don’t have much time to reflect on the missed opportunity.
On Tuesday night, Hansi Flick’s men take to the field against Benfica in the UEFA Champions League away from home, in the penultimate match of the league phase.
It goes without saying that they will try to counterattack and make it clear that the draw against Getafe was just a one-off incident.
Barça Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Benfica vs Barcelona.
A complicated opposition
The 2021-22 version of the UEFA Champions League was a horror for Barcelona as they finished third in their group and were relegated to the UEFA Europa League.
That season, it was Benfica that qualified above them in second place and Barcelona lost points against the Portuguese team that cost them the knockout place.
The clash between the two teams in Spain saw them draw goalless, but Benfica beat the Catalans with three goals to take the three points when they met in Portugal.
A lot has changed since Benfica beat the Catalans at the Estadio da Luz in 2021 and only five of the players who started that night are still at the club. However, the blaugrana This record says a lot about the difficult opposition they face.
Bruno Lage’s men are currently unbeaten in their last four matches and have won three of them. They are second in their domestic league with 41 points from 18 games and have only conceded 11 goals.
Olmo sits down again
There is no denying that Dani Olmo is one of the most talented players Hansi Flick has at his disposal at Barcelona.
The Spanish international has shone since the day he made his debut in the blaugrana colors and is a perpetual threat in the build-up phase due to a combination of his positional awareness and combination play.
Its only drawback, however, is its physical fragility and even Flick’s staff seem to be struggling to crack its code.
Olmo just can’t catch a break with his complaints and it has been a recurring theme in recent years. Once again, he suffered a small injury after Barcelona’s draw against Getafe and is left out of the squad for the Champions League clash.
The Spanish international is expected to be out for ten days, and his unavailability tomorrow represents certain direct alterations in Hansi Flick’s plans.
For starters, Gavi will continue as Barcelona’s starting attacking midfielder as he has done in recent games and may even play a longer period than usual given Olmo is out.
However, what it also implies is that the coach could turn to Pablo Torre or Fermín López, who present solid arguments to see more minutes.
Fermin has struggled to get minutes this season and hasn’t been his usual goal threat in the final third since the Olympics. Tomorrow he will try to take advantage of his opportunity to become part of Flick’s plans again.
Torre, meanwhile, was never expected to play a major role in Barcelona’s season, but he has used his scarce minutes to perfection and could even be ahead of Fermin in the manager’s pecking order currently.
Reaching the doors of the Top 8
Barcelona’s run in La Liga is truly worrying, but the team has not allowed the same mistakes to creep into the UEFA Champions League campaign.
The Catalans have played very well under pressure this season and have been able to achieve victories on demand in European competition. Their good form has given them a comfortable position in the table, where they occupy second place.
Flick’s men only dropped points in the first game of the competition against AS Monaco and have since won five out of five. They now have a three-point lead over ninth-placed Borussia Dortmund.
Only the top eight teams in this year’s standings qualify directly to the round of 16, and teams ranked 9th through 24th must play in an additional playoff tie to determine who qualifies.
Finishing in the top eight will save the Catalans two more games in their already eventful career and a victory tomorrow will take them to the doorstep of the place they dream of.
A victory over Benfica will take Barcelona to 18 points, a figure that even the ninth-placed team can only reach if it wins its two remaining games. Furthermore, considering Barcelona’s goal difference of +14, they may well guarantee the top 8 spot they desire.
