FC BARCELONA
Champions League: Barça's fond memory of meeting Benfica in the knockout rounds
Published New:5/03/2025 - 17:54h
Updated New:5/03/2025 - 19:58h
FC Barcelona have fond memories of their last UEFA Champions League tie against SL Benfica. Why? We tell you in FCBN
The FC Barcelona will face an exciting match at the Estádio da Luz against SL Benfica, corresponding to the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League 2024-25. The Catalan team will meet a Portuguese team with which they have not clashed many times in their history, only seven times, under the denomination of Champions League, established in 1992.
Despite this, they have forged an interesting rivalry, highlighting a memorable encounter this season: an exciting 4-5 in Lisbon with an impressive comeback by the Barcelona team in Portuguese lands.
Furthermore, the FC Barcelona can say that they have a pleasant memory in the UEFA Champions League of the last time they faced the 'Eagles' in a knockout stage. This has only happened once, during the 2005-06 season, when the Catalan and Lisbon teams faced off in the quarter-finals.
How did the last knockout tie played in the Champions League between FC Barcelona and SL Benfica unfold?
In that series, just like it is scheduled for this matchup in the 2024-25 season, the first leg match (March 28, 2006) was played at the Estádio da Luz of SL Benfica. However, the tie remained completely open, as in this first leg match, the Catalans and Benfica failed to score goals, leaving everything to be resolved at the Camp Nou.
In the return leg, at the Catalan stronghold, the team then led by Frank Rijkaard managed to defeat the Portuguese on March 4 with a score of 2-0. In that clash, the Catalans prevailed with goals from Ronaldinho Gaúcho and Samuel Eto'o.
What was special about this tie?
The FC Barcelona holds a pleasant memory of this encounter, as it was one of the 'stages' they had to overcome in that edition of the UEFA Champions League to be crowned as champions, lifting their second trophy at that time, after defeating Arsenal in the final held at the Stade de France in Paris with a score of 2-1, where the heroes for Barcelona were Samuel Eto'o and Juliano Belletti. Undoubtedly, a truly memorable moment for the Blaugranas.
