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Barcelona and Benfica are gearing up for what promises to be a thrilling UEFA Champions League knockout clash at the Olímpic Lluís Companys on March 11. Hans-Dieter Flick's Barcelona squad comes into this match with a slight edge, having secured a valuable 1-0 away victory in the first leg last week. The Catalan giants will be looking to capitalize on their home advantage and solid recent form to punch their ticket to the next round. Bruno Lage's Benfica, meanwhile, face an uphill battle but certainly aren't out of the running yet. Can the Portuguese side upset the odds in Barcelona? Let's dive into what both teams bring to this high-stakes encounter.

Barcelona's recent numbers tell a compelling story. Seven wins and two draws in their last nine outings? Not too shabby! They've been finding the net with ease, scoring 24 goals while conceding just 7. At home, they've been slightly less dominant but still unbeaten with three wins and two draws in their last five matches.Benfica aren't exactly slouches themselves. They've racked up six wins in their last eight games, with just one draw and one defeat. Their away form has been perfect lately—two wins from two attempts without conceding a single goal. Remember their 1-0 win at AS Monaco in February? That kind of resilient performance is exactly what they'll need in Barcelona.

The head-to-head record leans heavily in Barcelona's favor. The Catalans have won four of their previous encounters, while Benfica have managed just one victory, with three draws completing the picture. Barcelona have outscored their Portuguese rivals 10-7 across these meetings.Last week's first leg in Portugal saw Barcelona snatch a narrow 1-0 win, giving them that crucial advantage heading into this home fixture. That result fits the broader pattern we've seen between these two European heavyweights over the years.

The bookmakers have Barcelona as clear favorites with a 68.6% chance of winning this match, compared to Benfica's 14.4%. A draw sits at 17%.Yet Champions League knockout ties have a funny way of defying expectations, don't they? Despite Barcelona's first-leg advantage and strong home record, Benfica's perfect away form in recent matches gives them reason for optimism. The Portuguese side need just one goal to level the aggregate score, which could set up a nail-biting finish.With talented squads on both sides and everything on the line, fans at the Olímpic Lluís Companys are in for a treat as these European giants battle for a place in the next round.

European stations broadcasting the match include MAX Sport 3 (Bulgaria), Sport 1 (Hungary), Canal+ Foot and Canal+ Sport (France). Sky Sport Uno, NOW, and Sky Go are available in San Marino and Italy. Sport Klub 2 SLO broadcasts in Slovenia. Polish viewers can watch on Canal+ Extra 2 and Canal+ Sport Online. In Ireland and the UK, it's on Discovery+, TNT Sports 1, and the discovery+ App. Viaplay is available in Denmark, Sweden, and Greenland. TV3 Sport covers Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia. Belgian options are Pickx+ Sports 2 and Play Sports 4. Arena Sport Premium 1 broadcasts in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and North Macedonia. Austrian and Swiss viewers have access to Sky Sport Austria 5, Sky Sport Austria 1, and Blue Sport 1 Live. In Spain, it's M+ Liga de Campeones and Movistar+. Slovakian and Czech viewers can tune into Nova Sport 4. Liechtenstein and Switzerland offer Blue Sport 1 Live. Luxembourg carries Pickx+ Sports 2. Ukrainian fans can watch on MEGOGO Football 2. Swiss options also include TRT Spor and Canal+ Sport. Norwegian channels are TV2 Play and TV2 Sport. Dutch viewers can watch on Ziggo Sport and Ziggo Sport 2. Romanian channels are Prima Sport 1 and Digi Sport 1. Russian coverage is on Okko Sport. TRT Spor is available in Albania, Switzerland, and Kosovo. Portuguese fans can watch on Sport TV5. German coverage is on DAZN. Greek viewers can find it on COSMOTE SPORT | 7HD. Croatia offers Arena Sport 3 HR. In North America, US viewers can watch on ViX, UniMás, Paramount+, and TUDN. South American coverage for Brazil is on TNT and Max. Argentinian options are ESPN Argentina, Disney+ Argentina, and ViX. Indian viewers can watch on Sony Ten 3 HD, Sony Ten 3, SonyLIV, Sony Ten 2, and JioTV.