PSG or Benfica in the round of 16: which rival could be easier for Barça?

FC Barcelona already know who their possible opponents are in the round of 16. After taking a round of rest, the result of their good performance in the league, they will have to put on their work clothes. Their opponents will come from the clashes between Brest and PSG and Benfica and Monaco. After the Parisian side and the Portuguese team advanced, there are now two candidates. Chance will resolve the mystery this Friday, as the draw for the next phase of the Champions League will be held at 12:00 Spanish peninsular time.

Both the team managed by Luis Enrique and that of Bruno Lage are familiar faces for the Blaugranas. Without going any further, this season there was a visit by Barça to the Estádio da Luz to face 'As Águias' in the qualifying phase for the knockout rounds. The match ended 4-5, with an epic comeback at the last minute, in favour of the Catalan club. On the other hand, the duel against Paris Saint-Germain is almost a European classic, as they have faced each other 14 times since 1995.

PSG, the least desired

Without a doubt, the French team is the rival to avoid. They have reached the round of 16 after beating Brest in the round of 32 (10-0). The reality is that they have had a glorious 2025, with 13 wins in 13 games. Their great weapon is Ousmane Dembélé. The mosquito has 15 goals in 10 games played. Although he has not scored in two matches, he is the great bastion of the Parisian team. However, his partners in attack are not bad either: Kvicha Kvaratskhelia, former Barça target in the summer, and Bradley Barcola, author of Araujo's expulsion last season.

Luis Enrique has managed to get all the gears working in his steamroller. A team full of young talent, with immense quality, capable of applying a delicious passing game, as well as a verticality that gives vertigo. Not for nothing is it undefeated in this new year. Its European league phase was not the best, as it finished 15th with 4 wins, 1 draw and 3 losses. However, it is fair to recognize that it has faced very tough rivals: Girona, Arsenal, PSV, Atlético de Madrid, Bayern, Salzburg, Manchester City and Stuttgart.

Last season, the duel between FC Barcelona and Paris Sant-Germain already made it clear that the Asturian coach's project had a future. Despite the culé victory in the first leg, at the Parc des Princes (2-3), the return leg was completely in favor of the French team (1-4). This season, the challenge was to rebuild the team without Kylian Mbappé, but the reality is that it is even more dangerous. It has very talented players in all positions. The squad is very complete, made up of young players with a lot of composure.

This PSG is a strong candidate to lift the European Cup in May in Munich. It has a goalkeeper, Donnarumma, who is absolutely elite when he is on fire. Its full-backs, Hakimi and Mendes, are daggers in attack, although the Moroccan is a bit lacking in defence. Its two centre-backs, Marquinhos and Pacho, are the perfect combination of experience and youth. The midfield is led by Vitinha, who already proved his worth last season, helped by the magnificent Fabián and João Neves and Zaire-Emery. Its trio of attackers, already mentioned, have generated 39 goals this season, which is 42.85% of the total in Ligue 1, taking into account that Kvaratskhelia arrived in January.

It is far from being a sticker album, as it was in other years. Now it is a real team, with a serious project. It has not been easy, since 2023, when 'Lucho' has been on the bench, they have made 113 operations, between arrivals and departures, loans and transfers. However, they now have a good starting eleven and players who add a lot from a less main: Desiré Doué, Kang-In Lee, Gonçalo Ramos, Beraldo or Lucas Hernández. They are clearly the rival to avoid in the draw, as they will be able to face FC Barcelona head on.

Benfica, the 'easy' way

The reality is that the Portuguese team is the preferred option for Liverpool and Barça. They are not an easy rival at all, in fact, the Blaugrana team had a hard time beating them. However, the possibility that PSG is a hypothetical opponent makes the other way the preferred one. Benfica is having an irregular season. They are second in the Portuguese League, although only two points behind Viktor Gyökeres' Sporting. They are the champions of the League Cup and are in the quarter-finals of the Taça. They have reached the last 16 after beating Monaco in a hard-fought tie (4-3) and finishing 16th in the league phase, with 4 wins, 1 draw and 3 losses.

The game against Hansi Flick's men showed what they are all about. A team with very good attacking potential, despite the fact that they could hardly count on a limping Di María, who cannot be allowed to have any gaps. However, they are also a team that can fall apart due to individual errors and disconnections. They have a squad with very young players, typical of one of the great exporters of talent in Europe. It is a cast that forces you to stay focused throughout the game, as they do not forgive mistakes. Even so, they are the 'easy' option for Barça. We will have to wait until Friday to see what fate dictates.