In the early morning of September 29 (Vietnam time), the Champions League saw Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Antoine Griezmann all score. Congratulations to them, especially Messi, but there is no joy in Barcelona.
All three stars are no longer at Camp Nou, while it was not until the early morning of September 30 (2:00) that Barca played their second match in Group E of the Champions League this season.
There is something quite related at Barca, when they opened the Champions League in the post-Mestian era with a 0-3 defeat at home to Bayern Munich, and then, their first away trip was to Da Luz Stadium - where they witnessed the " Assault" in which Cuoi was a victim under the Bavarian gray demons more than a year ago.
Tonight, Barca returned to the ring called Anh Sang to seek the light at the end of the tunnel. Of course, the opponent is not Bayern but the host of this stadium - Benfica.
What is happening at Barca probably needs not be repeated. Only talk about the most recent match, when they beat Levante 3-0 last weekend. That was when Memphis Depay scored again, when Ansu Fati returned and scored, and Luuk de Jong scored his first goal for Blaugrana, the excitement suddenly returned to Camp Nou, as if there was no crisis at all.
More specifically, the way the young players perform is also a positive signal for a bright future for Barca.
Immediately, the media gave charming offers and prospects to Ronald Koeman, who was in the stands at that match for being sent off from his coaching position. Tonight, the Dutch coach will return to his familiar position, with the task of continuing the upward momentum to have the first victory in the Champions League this season.
If looking at the head-to-head statistics, Benfica are too inferior as they have never scored in 4 meetings with Barca. Of course, they have lost all 4 matches. However, when separating the past and the present, statistics are for reference only.
In the previous 4 meetings, Barca prepared to win the 2006 championship and Barca reached the semi-finals with the team that the star-studded La Masia academy is the inspiration for (2012). Now, that squad of stars only has Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba all over 30.
With the Cletes feeling exhausted by their win over opponents who had not experienced a La Liga victory since the start of the season, thinking that their home team had returned, the ground could be their first to see when they opened their eyes after the match in Portugal.
Coach Jorge Jesus' Benfica is rich in Portuguese tradition and is still a familiar and experienced away player in the Champions League. Unlike Levante, Benfica is leading in the Primeira Liga ( Portuguese championship) with 7 wins, scoring 19 goals and conceding 4 times.
With Barca no longer having Messi, there is no reason for Benfica to worry. They could even aim to make Barca's "won" in Da Luz pain again.
* Side statistics
- Benfica have kept a clean sheet in 5/7 recent matches in the Champions League.
- Benfica is unbeaten in 8 consecutive matches in the arenas.
- The last time Barca lost away in the Champions League was in May 2019 (losing 0-4 to Liverpool).
