The doubt in the midfielder, the control of the rhythm and other keys of Benfica-Barça

Barça faces a key moment of the season with the round of 16 of the Champions League 2024-25. A clash in which, both for the quality of template and by way of playing, the Catalans are higher than the rival. Even so, Bruno Lage Benfica is one of the teams that have best raised a meeting to those of Flick so it will be a demanding context. Here my keys to this decisive encounter:

1) Olmo, Gavi or Fermín

From the party against Real Sociedad, Flick’s preferences come off. And it is that for the coach there are seven unnegotiable players (Szczesny, Cubarsí, Koundé, Pedri, Lamine Yamal, Lewandowski and Raphinha), three favorites (Iñigo Martínez, Balde and de Jong) and a single doubt: that of the midfielder. Qualitatively, Dani Olmo is the best footballer for the position but requires dosage of minutes. In addition, Gavi gives an extra pressure and has a special tune with Flick. And this is the only doubt for tonight. Gavi has been fever in recent days but is already in full conditions to play. On the contrary, Dani Olmo was again decisive last Sunday but seems complicated that link ninety minutes after playing more than seventy. With these conditions, we must not rule out Fermín. So it will be interesting to see the decision of the Barca coach. Starting with Dani Olmo and ending one of the other two midfielders is the most likely option.

2) Tame or accelerate the game

One of the most important points tonight will be to mark the tempos of the party. Because Benfica is a team that, like this Barça, also feels comfortable in open matches of a lot of journey. Something that Barça is not doing badly but that will make qualitative differences in favor of the Catalans are lower compared to a context of a more controlled pace. The Portuguese painting does not shy away open matches. It will have to be the Barca team that puts the moments of pause. If the team gets Pedri to intervene a lot in the match, it will be much more likely to get it, since the medium has the reading and pause to do so.

3) The side with the bolter of the band

In the group phase match, the Portuguese painting designed a strategy that did a lot of damage to the ahead of Barca. He attacked the space with second -line tickets with passes from players who stuck to the lime line in three quarters zone. From there, without a fixed pressure, they could move with enough time and precision to put good balls to the attackers. It will be important that Barça do not let them repeat this maneuver when you don’t have the ball. And for this, the best way is that the band sides remain attentive to be on the opponent to look for these areas to make the passes. With this close pressure and good surveillance of the centrals, Barça will eliminate this danger.

4) Grant less auctions

The meeting against Real Sociedad had little history when the Donostiarras stayed with ten in the 16th minute. So if we ignore this game, Barça is granting too many auctions to the rivals in recent weeks. Before Rayo were nine, before Las Palmas Diez and before Atlético sixteen. An aspect of the game that the Barca team has to improve without losing its great offensive essence. It is always important to do so and is essential in qualifying matches such as tonight.

5) Pavlidis, Bruma and Álvaro Carreras

Entering tonight’s own rival names, you have to start with your scorer and your most form: Vangelis Pavlidis. Signs ten goals in the last eleven games and already registers fifteen goals between the Liga Nos and the Champions League. And it is that the Greek striker is not only showing effective towards the goal, but has good unchecking and good foot to play. Especially to end. It is also necessary to talk about Alvaro Carreras. The former Granada is a very young and very interesting player. It is a complete side and of great offensive projection. Two goals and three assists are notable records for a defense. It has become an irreplaceable piece for Benfica and has aroused the interest of some greats in Europe. Finally, mention mist. A versatile and powerful band attacker. You can play in both bands and shoot at the minimum occasion you have. It has an average of 3.7 auctions per game. Barça will have to be vigilant to all of them.