Bruno Lage: Benfica’s Upcoming Round of 16 Bout with Barcelona Promises to be a Thrilling Encounter

Barcelona and Benfica delivered one of the most exhilarating matches of the season, ending in a stunning nine-goal showdown during the early stage of the Champions League. Following that match, Benfica’s manager, Bruno Lage, has urged fans to prepare for more thrills as they get set to meet Barcelona again on Wednesday.

Lage remarked that despite their narrow 5-4 defeat following a stoppage-time goal from Raphinha, Benfica will remain committed to their attacking style of play when they take on the Catalan giants in the first leg of their round of 16 encounter, and he anticipates that Barcelona will adopt a similar approach.

“I can’t predict how many goals will be scored in this match, but I’m confident it will be an outstanding game of football as both teams have a flair for attacking,” Lage stated during a press conference on Tuesday.

“It’s going to be a challenging game, and we’ll be aiming for the win. While the result tomorrow is significant, the outcome of the second leg will ultimately be more critical.

“We’re facing a formidable opponent who finds the back of the net frequently, but we also focus on the positives from our previous encounters: the chances we’ve created and the moments we’ve had in front of goal… we believe we can progress past this stage.”

Benfica fans are hopeful for a different result this time around compared to the thrilling encounter in late January at Lisbon’s Estadio da Luz, where Barcelona came from two goals down to clinch victory.

Despite facing challenges with injuries to key players, Lage confirmed that attacking midfielder Angel Di Maria and midfielder Florentino will be sidelined for Wednesday’s clash as they recover, although he expressed optimism that winger Renato Sanches should be available.

“The key is for the team to operate cohesively, regardless of who is on the pitch,” Lage continued.

“We’ll look to exploit the spaces our opponents provide, as they often will. It’s crucial that we capitalise on the opportunities Barcelona presents, and that will be our main focus.”