Champions League: Barcelona vs Benfica! A large number of forwards are injured! Why does Barcelona still have to rely on the coach's support?

Let's start today's Champions League talk: Barcelona vs Benfica!

Barcelona is especially short of forwards right now; Agüero, Dembélé, Fati... in total, five forwards are sidelined with injuries.

In the match against Espanyol the day before yesterday, Xavi was forced to use two 17-year-old youngsters as makeshift wingers — truly a case of a clever housewife having no rice to cook with.

The last time they faced Benfica, a more complete Barcelona squad was shut out. Is there any hope today?

Though Barcelona is short of forwards, Benfica also lacks a key defensive pillar: Veríssimo.

He is the only one under 30 among Benfica’s three main center-backs. This Brazilian international in his prime has strong one-on-one skills and usually marks the opponent’s top striker. Last game, Depay was completely contained by him.

For example, when Depay dropped back to receive the ball, Veríssimo followed him all the way to the center circle and immediately stole the ball at the first moment.

Depay has always been wary of defenders who combine physicality and speed. With him absent today, Depay has a better chance to perform well.

Actually, although the last match ended with a wide margin, Barcelona was not so disadvantaged in terms of gameplay.

At that time, Koeman used a two-striker formation. Longtime Barcelona fans know that Barcelona rarely plays with two strikers; they usually use a 4-3-3 with three forwards.

Firstly, Barcelona players are not used to this tactic, and the Depay + De Jong duo lacks enough attacking power, struggling against Benfica’s five-man defense.

Moreover, Alba was absent! In Barcelona’s forward weakness, they especially need Alba’s explosive runs on the flank to break open the game.

In the match against Espanyol the day before yesterday, Alba helped create eight dangerous attacks on the left side within the first 30 minutes. Although this former world’s best left-back is a bit older now, his quality remains top-notch.

Today, even though Barcelona has many injured forwards, Alba, Gavi, Coutinho, and Demir are all available. While not comparable to the Messi era, the lineup is still decent.

Last time against Benfica, the players lacked fighting spirit; they didn’t run hard or fight for the ball.

Now that Xavi is back, the entire team’s energy and spirit are completely different. Even 33-year-old Busquets presses opponents inside their box. If Benfica still treats this Barcelona like last time... they might suffer.

Because Barcelona’s next Champions League match is against Bayern, and Benfica faces Dynamo Kyiv, if Barcelona fails to get three points today, they will basically be out of the knockout stage.

This outcome is something not only Barcelona fans want to avoid but probably UEFA as well, since Barcelona vs Benfica draws a clear difference in TV ratings.

Today’s referee is Karasev, who has officiated 28 Champions League matches with the home team winning 20 times — a 71% win rate, making him a real lucky charm for the hosts.

Barcelona probably prefers him because in the three matches he refereed involving Barcelona, they all won by large margins.

Assigning Karasev to this match might be a statement of intent.

Overall, Xiaojiu is hoping Barcelona can secure the three points! Of the five matches we talked about yesterday, four went smoothly. Hopefully, Barcelona will have good luck today too!