Hello and welcome to Eurosport's LIVE text commentary of Barcelona's Champions League Group E crunch match with Benfica. Xavi can ensure his side progress to the last 16 of the competition with victory in his first European game in charge of Blaugrana and effectively consign Benfica to the Europa League in the process. Let's grab the team news ahead of this 20:00 kick-off!
Champions League / Group Stage
Spotify Camp Nou / 23.11.2021
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Live
Live Updates
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Updated 23/11/2021 at 21:55 GMT
35'
Goal ruled out! Benfica have the ball in the back of the net - but it's not going to count! Otamendi thrashes it home from the edge of the box, but the ball had strayed out of play a moment earlier!
34'
Benfica should score! Set-pieces probably represent Benfica's best chance of breaching Barcelona's tonight and now they have a corner. Everton delivers... Yaremchuk attacks it with a stooped header and Ter Stegen keeps it out with his leg!
33'
Grimaldo whips in a free-kick delivery, Yaremchuk is picked out in space but the Ukrainian fails to keep his shot down from point-blank range! His blushes are spared as the offside flag is then raised.
31'
Gilberto drives down Benfica's right and unselfishly looks to feed the run of Yaremchuk. However the pass is poor and Barcelona recover possession.
29'
Alba is played in behind once more but this time the offside flag comes to Benfica's rescue.
28'
Save! Vlachodimos is forced into another save as Barcelona spring another attack on the break with Alba played down the left. He can only sting the hands of the visiting goalkeeper though.
26'
Over! Nice build-up play from Barca - but again the final touch isn't what it should be! Gonzalez dinks it through to Gavi who can't keep his shot down!
24'
Benfica win their first corner of the night. It's played short before Everton eventually delivers but the Barca defence head clear.
22'
Gilberto concedes a free-kick for a foul on Alba, who delivers the resulting set-piece. He's searching for runners at the far post but it's much too close to the visiting goalkeeper.
19'
Yaremchuk has another sight of goal but Pique gets across quickly to make a sliding challenge.
17'
Depay gets in behind Benfica's defence, rounds Vlachodimos and tries to square it to Demir. The visitors get enough bodies back to make the interception and then the offside flag goes up.
14'
Shoot on sight is the instruction tonight thanks to the wet conditions. This time Depay fires over from distance.
13'
Chance! Barca press and win the ball in midfield, soon finding themselves in a three-on-three counter-attack. It's spread wide to Araujo but under pressure from Vertonghen he can only slice his effort wide!
8'
Close! Demir, Barcelona's 18-year-old Austrian forward, is searching for the far post with a curling effort. Vlachodimos has to be at full stretch on the wet surface to push it behind for a corner!
5'
Barcelona try to play out from the back but Ter Stegen misplaces his pass. Yaremchuk has the opportunity to make the goalkeeper pay for his carelessness but fails to get anything behind his shot and it's straight at the home shot-stopper.
3'
Barca have made a bright start to proceedings, full of short, sharp passing.
1st Half
1'
Kick-off! Benfica, in all white, get us underway at a wet Nou Camp!
19:55
The rain is coming down heavy in Barcelona, which might disrupt the home side's free-flowing football. We're just five minutes away from kick-off now. The players are about to emerge and are ready for that famous anthem.
19:50
Earlier tonight in Group E, leaders Bayern Munich beat Dinamo Kyiv 2-1 to keep up their 100% record in the Champions League.
19:45
19:40
Second-placed Barcelona start the game two points ahead of Benfica, knowing they must win one of their two games to progress to the last 16. The Portuguese giants will be confident after winning the reverse fixture 3-0 and they certainly know where the net is, scoring 20 goals in their last five games. Tonight is going to be an early test for Xavi.