The Lisbon hosts Club Brugge with a large advantage thanks to their victory in the first leg (0 – 2). They have the opportunity to finish the job in their lair and qualify for the Champions League quarter-finals.
The first duel between the Portuguese and the Belgians was one-dimensional with a wide success for the Eagles away from home. Living a season at the top, they intend to move on to the next stage of the competition but the Blues and Blacks have not yet said their last word and they seem determined to give a hard time to the incarnated.
SL Benfica: The sky is the limit
Gonçalo Ramos and his teammates continue on their way to victory by still being in first place in the Portuguese championship, still 8 lengths ahead of their rival, FC Porto. Dominating on the national scene, the SLB is heading straight for a championship title. The Benfiquists also want to continue their great European epic and reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the second year in a row.
After a series of remarkable performances since the beginning of this adventure in Europe, expectations are high and Roger Schmidt was even asked about possible chances of lifting the Cup with big ears. The German technician replied to this with a smile and also recalling the main objective of this evening: “If we can win the Champions League? Nothing is impossible. All teams present in the elimination phase of the competition can win this trophy. Of course, not all teams have the same probability of doing so. Clubs with smaller budgets will have more difficulty. But for now, we are focused on qualifying for the quarter-finals. Reaching this stage will already be a great achievement for Benfica. »
The classic formation of the Reds and Whites could undergo modifications due to certain capital players (Gonçalo Ramos, Nicolas Otamendi, João Mario and Florentino Luis) who are at risk of suspension for the next round in the event of a yellow card. As for the injured, only Mihailo Ristic and Julian Draxler are guaranteed to miss tonight’s meeting.
Club Brugge: 1% chance, 99% faith
In 4th position in the Belgian championship and coming back from a rout (3-0) against KB Oostende this weekend, Scott Parker’s men are not on a good dynamic. A trip to the infernal Estadio da Luz and with a deficit of two goals to make up for: the challenge is immense, however football has shown time and time again that exploits are possible.
The English coach has confidence in his troops and he wanted to recall the good performance of his team during the first round despite the defeat at home: “Against SL Benfica in the first leg, we showed that we could be a confident team and we could have surpassed them before our individual mistakes. The performance that we made reassures me greatly for the meeting tonight. »
The clash between SL Benfica and Club Brugge will take place at the Estadio da Luz at 9 p.m. and it will be broadcast on Bein Sport 1.
