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Barcelona venture across the Iberian peninsula for their penultimate game of the Champions League league phase as they face Benfica in Lisbon.

After succumbing to Monaco with ten men on matchday one, Barca have won five straight in this competition and sit second in the league phase table. Ferran Torres’ heroics off the bench at Borussia Dortmund last month means they are all but assured of a place in the last 16.

However, their momentum gained at the start of 2025 was thwarted by Getafe on Saturday evening as Jose Bordalas’ side fought tooth and nail for a point to further hinder Barca’s La Liga title hopes.

Hansi Flick’s side have already claimed silverware this year in the form of the Supercopa de Espana, with that success also matched by Benfica’s triumph in the Taca da Liga final over Sporting CP.

Bruno Lage’s side are 15th in the league phase table and pushing for a top eight berth, but they’ll need a result here. Benfica are also locked in a thrilling three-horse race for the Primeira Liga title thanks to Sporting’s malaise since Ruben Amorim’s departure.

Here’s 90min’s guide to Tuesday’s Champions League clash.

Benfica vs Barcelona H2H record (Last Five Games)

Current form (all competitions)

Angel Di Maria is set to miss out on facing Barcelona for the 20th time on Tuesday night, with the Argentine star a major doubt through injury. The former Real Madrid man has won just six of 19 matches against them, scoring four times.

The hosts are certainly without Renato Sanches and Tiago Gouveia due to respective thigh and shoulder issues.

Kerem Akturkoglu has enjoyed a superb debut season in Portugal and is the man Barcelona must contain in transition, The Turkey international has 17 goal contributions in all competitions this term.

Benfica predicted lineup vs Barcelona (4-3-3): Trubin; Bah, Araujo, Otamendi, Fernandez; Aursnes, Florentino, Kokcu; Amdouni, Pavlidis, Akturkoglu.

There was some concern over the status of Marc Casado after Flick took him off in the second half against Getafe, but the midfielder’s withdrawal wasn’t injury-relayed and he’s in the travelling squad.

Despite strong links with a return to Girona, Eric Garcia is also travelling with the Barcelona squad.

The visitors are once again without Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Marc Bernal, and Inigo Martinez through injury.

Ferran Torres and Frenkie de Jong will be considered for starts, but Dani Olmo won’t be back in Flick’s XI after suffering a muscle injury at the weekend.

Barcelona predicted lineup vs Benfica (4-2-3-1): Pena; Kounde, Araujo, Christensen, Balde; Casado, De Jong; Fermin, Gavi, Ferran; Lewandowski.

Given Barca’s strong position in the table, Flick could rest and rotate a few key names in Lisbon. However, the visitors are blessed with impressive strength in depth, especially in creative positions.

Their La Liga title hopes are starting to fade, but this team at their apex are as good as anyone on the continent. We’re unlikely to see their utopian iteration on Tuesday night if Flick does make changes, and Benfica’s desperation for a result should ensure the contest is an exciting one.

We’ve seen superior Benfica sides in the not-so-recent past, that’s for sure, but they’ll fancy their chances of earning a result on home soil if Flick does tinker with his team.

Prediction: Benfica 2-2 Barcelona

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Liverpool need just a point to qualify for the Champions League round of 16 when they welcome Ligue 1’s Lille to Anfield on Tuesday night.

The Reds have been perfect in the competition thus far, although they were slightly fortunate to beat Girona on matchday six last month. Before that, Liverpool beat the likes of AC Milan, Bayer Leverkusen, and Real Madrid to assert a dominant position at the top of the league phase table.

Arne Slot’s side enter this bout having struck late at Brentford on Saturday and extending their lead at the top of the Premier League table to six points after Arsenal were pegged back by Aston Villa.

They will be put to the test by a Lille team that are unbeaten in 21 games across all competitions. Bruno Genesio’s side are up to third in France after coming from behind to beat Nice on Friday night, and they currently occupy the final top-eight spot in the European table too

After losing at Sporting CP on matchday one, Lille won four of their next five – including against Real Madrid – to leave themselves in a strong position. A place in the last 16 is far from guaranteed, but their continental campaign will surely extend beyond the end of January.

Here is 90min’s guide to Liverpool vs Lille in the Champions League.

Liverpool vs Lille H2H record (All Games)

Current form (all competitions)

Liverpool are healthy heading into Tuesday’s Champions League clash with Lille, with Joe Gomez the only confirmed absentee. The centre-back is expected to be out until February with a hamstring injury.

Diogo Jota, whose goal off the bench helped the Reds earn a point at Nottingham Forest, missed Saturday’s win over Brentford with a knock and is unlikely to recover in time for the Lille’s visit.

There’s bound to be some rotation from Slot, who hasn’t tinkered too much with his team up to this point. Conor Bradley, Wataru Endo, Jarell Quansah, Kostas Tsimikas, Federico Chiesa and Harvey Elliott could all come into the team.

Liverpool predicted lineup vs Lille (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Bradley, Quansah, Van Dijk, Robertson; Endo, Jones; Salah, Elliott, Chiesa; Nunez.

Lille have a few more injury concerns than their hosts, and they’re crucially without maverick winger Edon Zhegrova due to a muscle issue. Leading scorer Jonathan David will lead the line.

Ethan Mbappe and Nabil Bentaleb are unavailable in midfield, while Tiago Santos has been lost for the season with a knee injury.

Samuel Umtiti has barely featured since joining the club and remains out of action.

Lille predicted lineup vs Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Chevalier; Meunier, Diakite, Ribeiro, Ismaily; Andre, Bouaddi; Bakker, Cabella, Sahraoui; David.

Lille must have a feeling of invincibility around them right now, but that can quickly subside in an environment like Anfield.

Genesio’s men have proven that they’re not merely the beneficiaries of a rather weak Ligue 1, with their performances in the league phase so far depicting a balanced, well-drilled and adaptable outfit. They like to control matches with the ball, but Genesio will be aware that doing so is mightily tough on Merseyside. Expect them to cede territory and aim to hit a rotated Liverpool team on the counter.

Slot’s rotation means the Reds are unlikely to be as potent, but they’re hardly in short supply of stellar reserves. Those coming in will be keen to prove their worth, and the Reds should win again at home.

Prediction: Liverpool 2-1 Lille

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Aston Villa head to Monaco for their penultimate game of the Champions League league phase on Tuesday evening.

It’s been a memorable return to Europe’s premier club competition for Villa, who took a big stride towards a round of 16 berth by beating RB Leipzig 3-2 last time out. Unai Emery’s side have won four of their six league phase games, with their continental campaign highlighted by a 1-0 win over Bayern Munich.

Villa now face the Ligue 1 side, having fought back from 2-0 down to earn a point at Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday.

Back-to-back defeats in this competition means Monaco will likely have to endure the knockout play-offs to make the last 16. After starting their second season under Adi Hutter strongly, Monaco’s form has tanked in the new year and they were beaten by bottom-of-Ligue 1 Montpellier on Friday night.

Monaco vs Aston Villa H2H Results

This is the first competitive meeting between Monaco and Aston Villa.

Current form (all competitions)

The hosts have a few issues in attack, with Hutter set to rely on experienced Swiss forward Breel Embolo in front of a youthful creative triumvirate.

Monaco are without former Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun due to a shoulder injury and the emerging George Ilenikhena becuase of a muscle issue.

Wilfried Singo and midfield lynchpin Denis Zakaria both missed Friday night’s disappointing defeat at Montpellier and are doubtful for Villa’s visit.

Monaco predicted lineup vs Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Majecki; Vanderson, Salisu, Kehrer, Henrique; Camara, Magassa; Akliouche, Golovin, Ben Seghir; Embolo.

John McGinn has recovered from a hamstring injury and could feature on Tuesday, having returned to Villa training. A spot in the starting XI is unlikely, though.

Lucas Digne should replace Ian Maatsen at left-back, while Leon Bailey is also pushing for a return to the team despite Jacob Ramsey’s return from injury.

Donyell Malen was an unused substitute at the weekend, having just arrived from Borussia Dortmund. Emery should give the Dutchman his debut here.

Jhon Duran could be rotated back into the team to offer the in-form Ollie Watkins some respite.

Aston Villa predicted lineup vs Monaco (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Minga, Digne; Kamara, Onana, Tielemans; Bailey, Duran, Rogers.

Villa have been rather inconsistent domestically, but they’ve looked at ease in the Champions League and can all but secure their place in the last 16 with a win here.

Emery’s astuteness on one-off occasions has paid dividends, with Villa able to raise their game on the big occasion.

They’re facing a dynamic and vertical Monaco team on Tuesday, but one that’s young and out of form. The hosts will have their moments and Villa may have to weather a few storms, but Emery’s savvy will help them through another tricky European away day.

Prediction: Monaco 1-3 Aston Villa

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FROM STAMFORD BRIDGE – Chelsea earned their first Premier League of 2025 with a 3-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday night.

The Blues predictably dominated their struggling visitors, taking a deserved lead through Tosin Adarabuioyo midway through the first half.

Wolves played on the seed of doubt which Chelsea’s poor form as planted, with Matt Doherty capitalising upon a blunder from Robert Sanchez on the cusp of half-time.

A burst of goals shortly after the hour mark from Marc Cucurella and Noni Madueke calmed the gently rising sense of tension in Stamford Bridge, as the Blues held on to claim three points which lifts them above Manchester City and back in to the Premier League’s top four.

How the game unfolded

Enzo Maresca described managing Chelsea in January as a “disaster” due to the never-ending swirl of transfer speculation. Results haven’t eased that pressure, with the Blues winless in five league games heading into Monday night’s bout.

A bright start quickly banished the memories of that poor form. Cole Palmer wreaked havoc tip-toeing between the lines, both wingers had the beating of their opposite full-backs and Marc Cucurella pinwheeled around with his trademark sense of reckless abandon. However, it was Wolves who gifted Chelsea their breakthrough.

A boneheaded piece of miscommunication between Matt Doherty and Jose Sa, minds fried by the everyday stress that hangs over a club battling relegation, almost put the ball in their own net. The visitors escaped with a corner, which still led to the opener.

At the second phase of that set piece, Reece James’ deflected effort bounced kindly into the midriff of Tosin Adarabioyo. Fresh from a brace last weekend against Morecambe, the newly prolific centre-back kept his composure and tucked the opening goal underneath Sa in the 24th minute.

If Chelsea’s first strike came with a helping hand, Wolves’ equaliser may as well as have been wrapped with a bow. Robert Sanchez fumbled Matheus Cunha’s corner in first-half stoppage time, sending the ball squirming directly into the path of a grateful Doherty, who made up for his earlier blunder with a stabbed equaliser.

The Blues regrouped during the interval, returning for the second half with the lopsided monopoly of possession and chances which had defined the opening 45 minutes.

Cucurella eventually made that domination count on the hour mark, capping off a swift zig-zagging move with a scuffed effort just inside the far post before Wolves even had a second-half shot. Noni Madueke’s in-swinging cross was flicked on by Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and in to the stride of Cucurella who, much like his colleague at the back, Tosin, picked out of the bottom corner.

Barely five minutes had elapsed before Chelsea doubled their advantage. The returning Trevoh Chalobah towered above a gaggle of gold shirts to thump Palmer’s floated free kick into the turf. Before the ball could nestle in the net, completing a hat-trick of defensive goalscorers for the Blues, Madueke snuck in to nod Chelsea’s third of the evening over the line.

There was a collective sense of easing off from the Blues during the closing stages, letting Wolves maintain the illusion of still being in the contest. However, Chelsea eventually saw out a much-needed win which piles the pressure back on their opponents, who sit above the relegation zone on goal difference alone.

Check out Chelsea vs Wolves player ratings here.

“This place is s***.” That was Madueke’s curt and cutting appraisal of Wolverhampton as a city on social media before he rattled in a hat-trick against the Wanderers back in August. The England international apologised for his hastily deleted post, but had no reason to regret his impressive contribution against the same opposition once again.

Madueke had his way with Rayan Ait-Nouri so frequently and forcefully during the opening 20 minutes that Pereira took the unorthodox approach of switching his full-backs. Nelson Semedo had more success against the scheming left footer, but as soon as he afforded Madueke more than a whisper of space, the headband-clad forward swung in the cross which led to Cucurella’s go-ahead goal.

Maresca has questioned Madueke’s work rate at times this season, but the forward showed plenty of desire to steal a goal off Chalobah, nodding in from point-blank range before celebrating directly in front of the away fans who now had another reason to dislike the winger.

Wolves boss Pereira described Cunha as a player who can “take a rabbit and magic in the moment on the pitch and create something special”. Reece James was tasked with tackling the Brazilian’s trickery and did so by turning the duel in to a physical slugfest.

Wherever Cunha roamed, James’ hulking shoulder was never far from away. At one point midway through the second half, Wolves’ talismanic forward drifted all the way in to the centre circle to escape his jailer-in-chief, yet the Blues skipper materialised to barge him (fairly) to the turf.

There will be those that argue Cunha wasn’t quite himself as he spent the week recovering from illness, but James’ entire career is essentially one long injury comeback. The Stamford Bridge crowd certainly appreciated their captain, treating the right-back to a standing ovation as he trotted off for the final 15 minutes.

The speed of Trevoh Chalobah’s return to Chelsea’s first team was so blisteringly swift that the recalled loanee didn’t even make the matchday programme for the visit of Wolves.

Maresca insisted that Chalobah, who spent almost two decades coming through the Blues academy, only joined Crystal Palace this summer to adhere to the club’s financial fair play demands. After a glut of defensive injuries, “the best solution was to bring Trev back,” as the Italian explained.

The cheer for Chalobah’s first challenge on Monday boomed around Stamford Bridge, giving way to a spontaneous burst of the returning defender’s name. The 25-year-old made so many subsequent interventions that the shouts of approval were no longer solely sentimental but entirely deserved.

It was almost a fairytale return for Chalobah, whose header was bouncing beyond Sa and over the line before Madueke got his headband on the ball.

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Chelsea claimed their overdue first Premier League win of 2025 on Monday night, successfully seeing off a Wolverhampton Wanderers side hopeless at defending set-pieces.

Enzo Maresca hadn’t seen his team emerge victorious in a league context since a narrow win over Brentford on 15 December, more than a month earlier, failing to pick up maximum points in five games against Everton, Fulham, Ipswich Town, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth.

The Blues did take the lead in this one, Tosin Adarabioyo’s first league goal as a Chelsea player with a helping hand from VAR that confirmed the centre-back onside after the strike was initially ruled out.

The ever up and down Robert Sanchez fumbled what ought to have been a straightforward catch from a corner deep into first half stoppage time that handed Wolves a lifeline as Matt Doherty poked in. But Marc Cucurella’s unorthodox close-range finish on his 100th Premier League appearance restored Chelsea’s lead at the hour mark and they never looked back from that point.

Noni Madueke scored against Wolves for the fourth time this season, having netted a hat-trick in the reverse fixture, harshly poached a goal-bound header from the recalled Trevoh Chalobah. Nicolas Jackson also had the ball in the net late on, only to see an offside flag correctly raised.

*Ratings provided by Fotmob*

Subs not used: Filip Jorgensen (GK), Josh Acheampong, Christopher Nkunku, Marc Guiu.

*Ratings provided by Fotmob*

Subs not used: Sam Johnstone (GK), Craig Dawson, Pedro Lima, Thomas Doyle, Carlos Forbs, Hwang Hee-chan.

Player of the match – Trevoh Chalobah (Chelsea)

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