¡The day has arrived! The FC Barcelona is back in action in the UEFA Champions League 2024-25. Led by Hansi Flick, one of the best teams in the group stage after finishing in second place with 19 points out of 24 possible, they will face a tough away visit to the Estádio da Luz to take on SL Benfica, a rival whom the culés already know what they are capable of as they had the chance to face them earlier in this season. It was a true thriller that ended with a high-scoring 4-5 result, witnessing a spectacular comeback by the culés on Portuguese soil.
At this moment, the FC Barcelona, beyond the obvious challenge of facing a tough team like SL Benfica, has another goal in their path in this edition of the Champions League: to start this knockout stage by securing a victory. It's worth noting that the azulgrana side has struggled recently to kick off the round of 16 in this competition with a win.
When was the last time FC Barcelona won a first-leg match in the Champions League round of 16?
To witness FC Barcelona win a first-leg match in a round of 16 tie in the UEFA Champions League, we have to go back to the 2015-16 season. Back then, the culé team faced Arsenal in this phase and secured the first leg with a 0-2 victory on February 23, 2016.
The hero of the day at the Emirates Stadium was Leo Messi, who with a brace tilted the balance in favor of Barça, paving the way for a decisive 3-1 victory at the Camp Nou on March 16.
The streak that Barça aims to break in their match against Benfica
Since then, FC Barcelona has reached the round of 16 on six occasions, but has not managed to secure a first-leg victory in any of those instances. Instead, they have suffered two defeats, both against the same opponent: Paris Saint-Germain, along with four draws.
| SEASON | FIRST LEG | SECOND LEG | ADVANCED TO QUARTERFINALS? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-17 | Paris Saint-Germain 4-0 FC Barcelona | FC Barcelona 6-1 Paris Saint-Germain | ✅ |
| 2017-18 | Chelsea 1-1 FC Barcelona | FC Barcelona 3-0 Chelsea | ✅ |
| 2018-19 | Olympique Lyon 0-0 FC Barcelona | FC Barcelona 5-1 Olympique Lyon | ✅ |
| 2019-20 | Naples 1-1 FC Barcelona | FC Barcelona 3-1 Naples | ✅ |
| 2020-21 | FC Barcelona 1-4 Paris Saint-Germain | Paris Saint-Germain 1-1 FC Barcelona | ❌ |
| 2021-22 | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| 2022-23 | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| 2023-24 | Naples 1-1 FC Barcelona | FC Barcelona 3-1 Naples | ✅ |
Fortunately, for FC Barcelona, not securing a victory in the first leg of the round of 16 series has not been decisive for their progress, as out of the six times they failed to win the first leg, they only failed to advance to the quarterfinals on one occasion. However, it is clear that the culé team, relying on their winning DNA, will aim to break this negative streak, and they have a perfect opportunity to do so against SL Benfica. Will they achieve it?