Excitement builds as the next Barcelona match approaches! The Blaugrana head to Lisbon for the highly anticipated first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 clash against Benfica. Coach Hansi Flick has officially named a squad of 24 talented players who will represent the team on Wednesday. This match promises to be a thrilling encounter as both teams vie for a crucial advantage in this knockout stage.

Goalkeepers Ready to Defend: 13. Iñaki Peña, 25. Wojciech Szczesny, 31. Diego Kochen

Defensive Lineup to Fortify the Back: 2. Pau Cubarsí, 3. Alejandro Balde, 4. Ronald Araujo, 5. Iñigo Martínez, 23. Jules Kounde, 24. Eric García, 32. Héctor Fort, 35. Gerard Martín

Dynamic Midfielders to Control the Game: 6. Gavi, 8. Pedri, 14. Pablo Torre, 16. Fermín López, 17. Marc Casadó, 20. Dani Olmo, 21. Frenkie de Jong

Attacking Force to Challenge Benfica: 7. Ferran Torres, 9. Robert Lewandowski, 10. Ansu Fati, 11. Raphinha, 18. Pau Víctor, 19. Lamine Yamal

Coach Flick will take all available players on this important trip, but he faces the tough decision of selecting the final 23-man squad for the match day. As it stands, all indications suggest that Ansu Fati may be the unfortunate player left out unless Gavi, who is currently battling an illness, is unable to recover in time to even make the bench. Confirmed absences include Andreas Christensen with a calf injury, Marc-André ter Stegen suffering from a knee issue, and Marc Bernal also sidelined due to a long-term knee injury.

Projected Starting XI for the Tactical Setup (4-2-3-1):

Szczesny; Kounde, Cubarsí, Iñigo, Balde; De Jong, Pedri; Yamal, Olmo, Raphinha; Lewandowski

Mark your calendars! The match kicks off at 9 PM CET/WAT (Barcelona & Nigeria), 8 PM GMT (UK), 3 PM ET, 12 PM PT (USA), and 1:30 AM IST (India, Thursday). Be sure to join us for live updates and share your thoughts as the action unfolds on the pitch.

FORÇA BARÇA!