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Benfica manager Bruno Lage believes Barcelona are among the favorites to win the UEFA Champions League this season. Lage's comments come ahead of Benfica's clash against the Catalans in the tournament on Tuesday, January 21.
Barcelona are currently second in the UEFA Champions League table with 15 points—only surpassed by Liverpool with 18 points. They have won five out of their six games in the tournament and are among the favorites to head to the next round. Their only loss was a 2-1 defeat against Monaco in their opening game of the tournament.
In an interview with SPORT, Benfica coach Bruno Lage named Barcelona as one of the favorites to win the UEFA Champions League. He said (via Barca Universal):
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“Of course, they are a candidate to win the Champions League. They are a team with fantastic players and collectively they have the Barça DNA, you can see the coach’s hand. With a more vertical game, stronger in the pressure and in the defensive transitions, a very powerful opponent."
Barcelona's last two games in the UCL league phase will see them clash against Benfica and Atalanta. Both are formidable opponents and the Catalans will have to secure positive results to finish within the top eight and secure direct qualification to the Round of 16.
How can Barcelona qualify for the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 directly?
In the new UCL format involving 36 teams, the go through a league phase where each team plays eight games. The top eight teams secure direct qualification to the Round of 16. Meanwhile, teams placed 9-24 will have to play a knockout phase with eight teams heading to the next round.
According to SPORT, AI analysis suggests that Barcelona need to secure only one more point to qualify for the UEFA Champions League Round of 16. This means a draw against Benfica would be enough for them to secure a spot in the next round if their competitors do not outperform them by massive margins.
The AI analysis suggests that even with the unpredictable current format, a win or a draw should give Barca 16 or 18 points, above the projected 16.08 points necessary for a top eight finish.
Alternatively, if Barca loses against Benfica tomorrow, they will have to win or draw against Atalanta in their eighth game in the league phase.
