Benfica and Ajax meet in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg on Wednesday.
Two-time European champions Benfica are taking on four-time holders Ajax for a quarter-final place. The sides last met in the 2018/19 group stage, drawing 1-1 in Lisbon after Ajax won the Amsterdam leg 1-0. The Dutch side also eliminated the Eagles in the quarter-finals en route to the 1969 European Cup final, and the semi-finals as they went on to win the 1972 edition.
Possible line-ups
Benfica: Vlachodimos; Lázaro, Otamendi, Vertonghen, Grimaldo; Weigl, João Mário, Taarabt, Paulo Bernardo; Rafa Silva, Darwin Nuñez
Ajax: Pasveer; Mazraoui, Timber, Martínez, Blind; Edson Álvarez, Berghuis, Klaassen; Antony, Haller, Tadić
What the coach says
Nélson Veríssimo, Benfica coach: “It’s my debut as a coach in the first team. It is an important match, but more important than it is for me, it’s important for the team. We are going to face an opponent with a lot of quality. Ajax are currently one of the best teams in Europe. They have strengths, but also weaknesses that we’ll want to exploit. We know it will be difficult, but we are motivated. We have to keep possession, and also defend without the ball. Honestly, I think it’s 50/50.”
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