All I can say is someone break Ronaldinhos legs and Viva o Benfica!!!
This is going to be a huge game. I have no idea of the outcome at all.
Btw Deco is gonna get some reception in Lisbon

Is Messi going to be playing? Is he injured at the moment?

better believe benfica will be ready


boy do i love a good upset, and this one will be great

Messi will miss both matches of this quarter final, unless he recovers 1 week ahead of schedule which is very unlikely. I really wanted to see Messi in the quarters but if Barca advance, he will be back for an even bigger matchup against either Lyon or AC Milan.

i think its too easy for us .... and because it's too easy barca wont win the cup ....

obviously i'm for barca because i want to see the milenium matcg against lyon in semi

great draw for barca. they avoided all the italians and lyon. absolutely fantastic draw for them, but they deserve a bit of luck after getting chelsea at the 1/8th finals.

holy shit........really dissapointed that we drew barcelona...wow.....ok...well benfica just has to do the unthinkable again....win but in all seriousness i really believe we can win at home.....it alll just relys on the intangiables...simao and ronaldinho...these 2players will decide who goes on

Come on Barca! I badly want to meet you lot in the final!

I think Barca will win comfortably but I wouldn't write Benfica off. They can cause big upsets.

The decisive leg will be the first one in Portugal. We will be without Messi, Xavi, and especially our defence, Puyol. Hopefully Ronaldinho gets us an away goal. A draw would be great. Even a 2-1 loss would suffice. Then we take it to the Camp Nou, with Puyol back holding the defence together and win 3-1.

I think despite missing some BIG players, we will pull through and go on to win the CL.

Benfica can win over barca them, with the right instinct on the pitch everybody can.

But they need luck.

Congratulations to Benfica making it here, I just don't think Benfica will beat Barca. I think Barcelona will find them difficult, if Miccolli Gomes and Simao are on their best form (along with fernandes) then they do have a chance. But in the Champions League you have to have a player who can drag your team through the mud when they're down, I just don't know if Simao has that capability whereas barca have a few players who can do that.

Nuno Gomes is also suspended, correct?

Very unlucky Benfica, you will now have to meet the best team in the world atm. Beating Liverpool doesn't mean you can beat Barca, Liverpool couldn't even score a tap in while Barca has 4 or 5 players all ver capable of scoring.
Good luck to both teams. Barca for the win and the cup.

Yes Nuno Gomes is suspended for the 1st game. Lets all hope for 2 great games of football. FORCA BENFICA

I love when you say that Barça will win easily, then victory will taste much better!

Predictions: Benfica-2 Barça-0

Barça-3 Benfica-1

Barca plays Madrid right before the first match. So that should unsettle them a bit. Two rough games back to back.

I don't consider Benfica to be a pushover so I imagine this to be a much closer game than most predict it to be.

Benfica 2 - 1 Barca

Barca 2 - 0 Benfica

I think an away goal will decide this match

Of recent times, there's always injuries in the Super Clasico's, so hopefully this one doesn't follow the norm because we can't afford to get any more injuries coming up to the quarters.

What was the result between Benfica and Barcelona? It sounds like you guys already passed...

Wow seems like no one has hope in Benfica? Everyone thinks we are some little team just a question does anyone here even know Benfica two time CL champions ( i know it was in the 60's) but that is still in there history and will effect the way they play. Benfica is a team that can win any game doesn't matter who they play. This is going to be the toughest game Benfica is going to face and if we can beat Barcelona then I will bet all my money that I own ($0.01 lmfao) and place bets that Benfica will take this champions league. Now everyone is saying Liverpool and Man U is no Barcelona that may be true but they are defintily top teams and barca is another one, your only the best when you win and they still have to beat us to be considered that. Our coach is no idiot and used to play for Barcelona he knows that team and will know how to break them. The first match you guys will be missing key players and I ebelive Benfica is goign to have to take great advantage of that and make sure we don't let a single goal in. Benfica's all brazillian defence is going to have to give it their all again and we can't let any mistakes because it will cost us. I think Benfica can do this and we all have to believe if you enter a game thinking your going to lose then you already lost. Also 1 more thing, we have key players like Miccoli, Simao, Nuno (will miss first game) Geovanni and Robert who will cause alot of trouble for the back of Barca and I believe since Simao and Geovanni both played for Barca they are going to want to make a point and prove to them you should of kept them and selling them to Benfica was a mistake . I think the goals will come from Miccoli, Simao and Geovanni!

SO COME ON LETS PROVE TO THE WORLD WE ARENT SOME LITTLE TEAM AND LETS BRING BACK OUR 60's VICTORIES BACK TO PORTUGAL!!!!

VIVA Benfica (Beleive in your self guys anythign is possible)

Do you know how many times Barcelona have been held to 0 goals when Ronaldinho and Eto'o both play this year?

Answer: 2 times, and both times the final score was 0-0. The only other match they failed to score in was without Ronaldinho and some other critical players, they lost 1-0 to Valencia.

Now, that doesn't say that Benfica could be the next to hold Barcelona to 0 goals.... but I think it is crazy to expect it. And if they do manage to hold Barcelona to 0 goals in one of the matches, it will have to be with a fully defensive tactic that will keep Benfica from scoring.... so 2-0 is not going to happen... you can hope for 0-0 at best... but I say it will be 3 or 4 goals for Barcelona in each of the two matches. Benfica will score 2 goals at the most in the entire 180 minutes.







...... they past the second they draw against Benfica


the end result was: Barcelona 6, Benfica 2

I think you can already download the matches at Maxed

everyone is entitles to there opinion, and yes Barca can score 6 goals on Benfica, but i dont think they will. The outcome wont be as large over the 2 legs as most may imagine or hope for

Like I said, i want to see great football from both sides

If you read just before what you highlighted, it clearly says: "IF Barça advance".

Good luck Benefica. hopefully you can kick some Catalan ass.


btw did you all know Benefica has better europian history than Barca?

He's right.

They beat Barça to win their first European cup, and the "great" Real Madrid side of the 60s to win their second, they've also lost five finals. Incredible if you think that if they had won all their finals, they'd have 7 European Cups, and nobody would be questioning them as a force, like they do with Madrid. Wouldn't Madrid kill to have the 60s era back?

For the record, Barça has won the European Cup once.

Yeah, Barcas Europan history isn`t very good.
But we will fix that this season

Seriously, I don`t underestimate Benfica AT ALL. I know that they have beaten ManU and Liverpool twice. But both of them wan`t like Barca. They don`t have the attacking force that we do. But we will miss Puyol and Messi in the first leg. So it will be very hard game. I´m not gonna predict anything yet, coz injurys etc are easy to come (for both sides) and we have El Classico just few days before CL.

And guess who scored the winning goal in that final (a freekick if anyone is wondering??

Well it's no other than R.Koeman, Benefica's coach.



Barcelonista Siempre who are supporting in this tie??

I wouldn't be Barcelonista Siempre if I weren't supporting Barça.

What Cule doesn't know who scored the winning free kick goal of the final?

90% of the Ronaldinho/Barca fans don't know, so that's 60% of the Cules

Just like the 95% of the Ronaldo/Madrid fans forget there was a Real Madrid prior to Ronaldo's arrival, and that's what, oh yeah, 80% of the Madridista's. Not counting the Robinho, Beckham and Zidane followers which makes up the other 19%. Then you get people like Carlos, Nando, yourself and a couple of others who make up that sacred 1%.

See what worldwide marketing does for your club? Wonders I tell you.

Most fans are against the Galacticos policy, the people you mentioned make up 20% of Madridistas.

While Barca on the other hand....you know.

If it helps you sleep at night while you hold your videos of Madrid from the 60s to comfort you, then no problem.

Anyway, this is the Barça vs Benfica thread, stop getting off topic

Is it also true that Porto have better Europian history than Barca??


What formation does Benefica usually play??

How about the irony?

Koeman was the reason we first reached European glory. And now he is standing in our way to reaching glory this year.





Anyway. I expect at least a 3 goal win in the Camp Nou. So it really depends on what Benfica do in the 1st leg with the absence at home.

A0nd I wonder how the Benfica defense will cope going from a Couch-Morientes front line to a Ronaldinho-Eto'o-Giuly lineup? I really think they'll struggle, just like all defences have.

how will an away goal decide the match if the score would be 3-2???

Barca's away goal makes it 3-2, meaning it will decide the match

Is it also true that Porto have better Europian history than Barca??

Very true but isnt it true that madrid is winning nothing again?anyways back to the topic,i have respect 4 benfica they r a good team but not up to barcas class.

It's true that Barça scores almost every game but it's also true that Liverpool hadn't suffered a goal in this competition nor lost a game, they lost two games against us and suffered in both. It's true this year only Chelsea and Birmingham had scored in Anfield, we did that too. It's true that Manchester United in the last 10 years always get past the group stage and we knocked them out.

Barça has already been defeated by three or more goals against teams like Zaragoza or A.Madrid so we can do that too. In the pitch it's 11 vs 11...

Barcelona have a phenomenal team but we have a great team also and your first mistake is to underestimate us.
I'm aware that Barça are clearly the favorites and we're against all odds but we have our chances too.

By the way, i went to get my ticket today and it seems the stadium will be sold out in one day. One thing is for sure: Barcelona, prepare yourselves to the HELL OF DA LUZ!

Will be a real tough one for benfica.
I expect and hope that barca win this tiw 3-0 on aggregate

honesty im not going to make predictions for this match because these games dont matter about your history, or your current winning ect... it all depends on the moment you step onto the field and if your going to perform or not. Benfica lost i believe it was 3 or 4 games before facing Liverpool and Liverpool came playing Benfica with winning a couple of big games then we turned it around and blew them out of the water then took out Porto 2 days later. We have 3 Ex Barca players on our team Geovanni, Simao and the great Ronald Koemen to lead the way now I think if anyone is going to stop Barca this year it will be Benfica, honestly my predicition for this match will be whoever goes through between the 2 of us will win this competition because if Benfica beat Barca then theres no one we can't beat and if Barca beat us then its the same thing.

Zaragoza and Atletico only beat us by two goals. And that was with half of our squad.

If you want to talk about winning games by more than 3 goals. Barcelona against: Betis, Udinese, Osasuna, Sociedad, Panathinaikos, Madrid, Santander, Mallorca, Betis. And there have been plenty of two goal wins.

It would be a MUCH easier tie if we had Puyol and Messi in the first leg. But we'll have to live with it. We will get a decent result in Stade de Luz. Then Benfica will travel to the best stadium in Europe where they will get a good kicking for sure.

1st leg: 2-2
2nd leg: 3-1

Aggregate: 5-3 Barcelona

Its going to be a tough match

I beleive Barcelona will win, well pretty much everybody expects them to win but that can be an advantage for Benfica because they have nothing to lose.

Benfica seems to be the surprise team of the CL this year, they arent doing so great in the Portuguese league they are in third place behind Fc Porto and Sporting. but they have been playing well in the CL and step their games up.

The key match in this tie
is March 28th at Estadio da Luz
If Benfica wins and Barcelona doesnt get an away goal I belive Benfica will have very good chances of winning the tie (i.e. 1-0, 2-0, )
but if Barcelona gets an away goal (2-1, 1-1, etc) Im certain Barcelona will win
and Puyol and Messi are gone and Benfica has to take advantage of this.

Also I watch lots of Benfica and Barcelona games and heres my shot at trying to make accurate prediction on what I think will happen

my prediction
1st Leg : Benfica 2-1 Barcelona
2nd leg : Barcelona** 3-0 Benfica
Barcelona wins 4-2 on aggregate

I believe Barca will go through. They have beaten Chelsea and their confidence is very high. So is Benfica's confidence after beating Chelsea too. Barca is a team on form right now. I think they will win both legs. Liverpool's and Man Utd's attack is no where near Barca's. My prediction:
1st leg: Benfica 0 - Barca 1
2nd leg: Barca 2 - Benfica 1

Benfica dealt with Scholes, RVN, Ronaldo, Rooney alright. I think they can give you the game we could not.

^^

Quite true .. If Luisao plays the way he did against Liverpool then I think the defence will be strong ..

I dont think they will think as much as Chelsea did about Barca as they know they go into the match as firm underdogs and have nothing to lose which could prove to be in their favour.

Chelsea I think worried too much about Barcelona and kinda lost the plot.

Carles Puyol
I'm pretty sure Barcelona lost 4-2 against Zaragoza in the spanish cup, next Zaragoza beat Real Madrid 6-1.
I know Barcelona scores many goals but we have a good defence, we're no weak team as the spanish think. We have great players with lots of options, we even have a better defence than Barça but the spanish club attack is the most powerful in the world.
We're gonna give our best! I believe we can go through!

Its funny how Chelsea fans become Benfica fans all of the sudden.

Yes, it probably will be not as easy as most of the people think. But IMO Eto`o is better than RVN, Messi is better thatn Rooney (a bit) and Ronaldinho is better than C.Ronaldo, Scholes isn`t what he used to be so Deco is better atm than him.

But I will tell you once again, I´m defenetly do not underestimate Benfica, especially when Barca are missing Puyol and Messi (and Xavi)!

Exactly. Too bad Messi isn't playing. He really adds a lot. And not only are the individual players better, but Man U were off form at the time and don't play collectively as well as Barcelona.

If Benfica fans think that this will be like playing Man U. or Liverpool then they're in for a big surprise.

Having said that, I definetely don't underestimate them. This is football, and anything can happen. Benfica are a solid team and they will give us a good match. But I'm definetely optimistic going into the game. The absence of Puyol/Messi will certainly affect us, so I think we definetely need to score at least two away goals in order to be safe. Back at the Camp Nou (with those two back) it'll be a completely different game.

Watch out for Simao. Without Puyol he can really exploit the backline, and without Messi upfront, I don't see Barcelona scoring too many goals the first leg. I even doubt it will be a highscoring tie in the first place.

But knowing my predictions, I will probably be wrong.