Although the first leg of this Champions League quarter-finals tie concluded as a 1-0 result in favor of Bayern Munich, it was not the comfortable win many had expected. Benfica are very much still in this affair and as hosts of the second part, Rui Vitoria's side will be hoping to throw a monkey wrench in Pep Guardiola's quest to reach the semi-finals as they seek to keep their own European campaign going.
Benfica
Benfica are still in pole position to successfully defend their domestic title, but the Eagles obviously will want more than just that this season. For the first time since 2012, they are featuring in the Champions League quarter-finals after powering past Russian powerhouse Zenit, and having put in a good shift at the Allianz Arena, Wednesday's hosts will still believe they have a chance at staging an upset to book their spot in the final four.
When this tie was initially announced, most figured that Benfica would be easily swept aside and that they would be no patch for German titans Bayern Munich. Yet although they conceded an early goal, Benfica dug their heels in and managed the weather the storm. Despite not having first-choice goalkeeper Julio Cesar available due to injury, Vitoria's side departed Munich with still some hope in turning things around, but of course, they will be fighting against their own hoodoo when it comes to playing the Bavarian giants.
Three prior European meetings have resulted in three defeats for Benfica, and they still will be coming into Wednesday's game on the back foot. Furthermore, they will not have the services of their talismanic attacker Jonas due to suspension, which now robs them of their best striking option for a must-win game.
Bayern Munich
Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola's men arrive in Lisbon having earned a 3-1 win over Stuttgart this past weekend. This marked the first time in Bayern's past four matches that they beat their opponents by more than just a 1-0 scoreline and the Spanish tacticial will hope this indicates a step up in performance from his side ahead of this big match. Although die Roten do have an advantage thanks to Arturo Vidal's early goal from the first leg, they will obviously know that this will not be enough to see them through to their fifth consecutive semi-final.
Bayern will have quite a few players still absent for this game. Jerome Boateng and Holger Badstuber will definitely miss out, whilst Arjen Robben as well as Mehdi Benatia could be in doubt. In addition, several key members are also walking a suspension tightrope: Vidal, Robert Lewandowski, Joshua Kimmich, and Juan Bernat will all miss the semi-finals if they pick up another yellow card tomorrow evening.
Beating Benfica in European competition so far has been a guarantee for Bayern, and it has always led them to bigger things: the final. Still, their opponents quiet at their home ground could be tough, especially considering that only one team has kept them from scoring - fellow Portuguese outfit Sporting CP back in October. However, if they can grab an early away goal, then the pressure will shift from themselves and pile even more on Benfica as both sides vie for a chance to feature in this season's semi-finals.
Which channel is broadcasting Benfica vs Bayern Munich on TV or Online?
Bayern Munich do have a slight advantage in hand, but the tie has now moved to Benfica's home turf, where they have, as noted before, been solid enough this term. Nonetheless, Guardiola's side are no slouches themselves but will have to crank it up a notch in order to make it to the semi-finals for a fifth straight season.
With the first leg finishing at just 1-0, both teams will have everything to play for, which will make this a very interesting match. However, if you are too far away to make it in person to the match, no problem. LiveSoccerTV.com has put together some selections to tune in via TV, computer, phone, or tablet.
Here are some choices for fans residing in Germany, the USA, and in the following countries:
- In the USA at 14.45 EST on: Fox Sports Tennessee, Fox Sport South, Fox Sports Southwest, Fox Sports Midwest, Fox Soccer 2GO USA, Fox Sports Detroit, Fox Sports Prime Ticket, Fox Sports Arizona, Fox Sports West, Fox Sports Ohio, Fox Deportes, Fox Sports Ohio 2, Fox Sports GO, Fox Sports Carolinas
- In Germany at 20.45 CET on: Sky Sport 2/HD, ZDF, NDR Info Spezial, B5 aktuell, SWRinfo, B5 plus, Sky Sport 1/HD, Hr-Info, TeleClub Sport Live, Sky Go Deutschland
- In the UK at 19.45 BST on: BT Sport Live Streaming, BT Sport 2
- In Canada at 14.45 ET on: TSN5, TSN3, beIN Sports Canada, beIN SPORTS CONNECT Canada
- In Portugal at 19.45 WET on: RTP 1, Sport TV1
Live elsewhere? Check out our special Benifica vs Bayern Munich broadcast page for viewing times and options for your specific location.
*Note: Live broadcast data is subject to change*
Match details, result and original broadcast info
Benfica 2 - 2 Bayern München
April 13, 2016 2:45pmEstádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica (da Luz) (Lisboa)This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
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Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
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