High-flying Portuguese giants Benfica come into the round of 16 of the Champions League looking to dispel any notion that their impressive group stage campaign was anything but a fluke after Roger Schmidt presided over the capital outfit out-pacing Paris Saint-Germain to the top of Group H and are now primed for a crunch clash against fellow over-achievers Club Brugge.
Though Benfica lost both Darwin Núñez and Enzo Fernández to big-spending Premier League clubs Liverpool and Chelsea this season, the club has not slowed down on the home front and currently sits five clear of rivals FC Porto and on a six-match undefeated run, with Schmidt doing well to move on from key personnel losses while also receiving January reinforcements in the vein of Norwegian starlet Andreas Schjelderup, Gonçalso Guedes, and Casper Tengstedt. A tricky away tie awaits The Eagles but their experience in the knockout stage when compared to Brugge, who have not reached this stage in over 30 years, could come to the fore.
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Benfica boss Roger Schmidt will enjoy the benefit of having a fully fit squad to select from as the Portuguese giants travel to Flanders to clash with upstarts Club Brugge at Jan Breydel Stadium. The departure of club starlet Enzo Fernández will no doubt be a talking point coming into the knockout stage but recent performances from central duo Florentino and Chiquinho have looked impressive enough for Schmidt to not make any unforced changes to a team that is on a hot run of domestic form in the Portuguese capital.
