Benfica seeks, on its trip to Belgium, to capitalize on its favoritism against Club Brugge and take the first step to pass the round of 16 of the Champions League for the fifth time in history.
After having reached the ‘quarters’ in the 2005/06, 2011/12, 2015/16 and 2021/22 seasons, the ‘reds’ will try for the first time for a second consecutive classification, something they have not achieved since the race changed format and name, i.e. since 1992/93.
The Lisbon club, European champion in the 1960/61 and 1961/62 seasons, reaches this stage of the competition after beating Group H with distinction, finishing at the top, with 14 points, the same as Paris Saint-Germain. Germain and ahead of the Italians from Juventus and the Israelis from Maccabi Haifa, both with three. The Belgians were second in the group made up of FC Porto, Atlético de Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen.
Club Bruges eleven: Mignolet, Clinton Mata, Mechele, Hendry, Buchanan, Vanaken, Odoi, Onyedika, Meijer, Lang and Sowah.
XI of Benfica: Vlachodimos, Bah, António Silva, Otamendi, Grimaldo, Florentino, Chiquinho, Aursnes, João Mário, Rafa and Gonçalo Ramos.
Substitutes for Club Brugge: Bursik, Jutglà, Rits, Nielson, Boyata, Nusa, Yaremchuk, Sylla, Sandra.
Benfica substitutes: Samuel Soares, André Gomes, Gilberto, Veríssimo, Neres, Gonçalo Guedes, Tengstedt, Schjelderup, Musa, João Neves, Morato and Draxler.
Source: TSF
