Benfica v Leverkusen background

Bayer 04 Leverkusen are guaranteed a place in the UEFA Champions League knockout rounds and victory will ensure they finish top of Group C. SL Benfica, meanwhile, cannot improve on fourth place. 

• The German team won 3-1 when the sides met on 1 October, Stefan Kiessling and Son Heung-Min giving them a 2-0 lead. Eduardo Salvio pulled one back but Hakan Çalhanoğlu then converted a penalty.

Previous meetings
• Benfica won both legs of the 2012/13 UEFA Europa League round of 32 tie – 1-0 in the Rhineland through Óscar Cardozo's brilliant finish and 2-1 at home.

• The lineups in Lisbon for the second leg on 21 February 2013 were:
Benfica: Artur, Luisão, Cardozo (Lima 64), John (Jardel 90), Carlos Martins (Salvio 53), Gaitán, Matić, Garay, Melgarejo, André Almeida, Peréz.
Leverkusen: Leno, Reinartz (Milik 74), Wollscheid, Rolfes, Bender (Hegeler 57), Schürrle, Kiessling, Boenisch, Carvajal, Toprak, Castro.

• The sides also met in the 1993/94 European Cup Winners' Cup quarter-finals, Toni's Benfica ousting Dragoslav Stepanović's Leverkusen on away goals after a 1-1 draw in Lisbon and a 4-4 draw in Germany.

• The teams in Lisbon on 1 March 1994 were:
Benfica: Neno, Abel Xavier, Carlos Mozer, Hélder Cristóvão (Isaías 65), António Veloso, William, Vítor Paneira, João Pinto, Yuran, Rui Costa, Aílton Delfino (César Brito 72).
Leverkusen: Vollborn, Happe, Melzig, Wörns, Foda, Lupescu, Paulo Sérgio, Becker (Fischer 78), Tolkmitt, Hapal, Thom (Rydlewicz 87).

Match background

Benfica
• The Eagles – European Champion Clubs' Cup winners in 1961 and 1962 – are in their tenth UEFA Champions League group stage campaign.

• Last season they finished third in their section and in only one of their last six campaigns (2011/12) have they qualified for the knockout rounds.

• In the 2013/14 UEFA Europa League, the Eagles reached the final for the second successive season, drawing 0-0 with Sevilla FC in Turin but losing 4-2 on penalties.

• Benfica's 39 games against German clubs have ended W12 D12 L15 (W10 D6 L2 in Lisbon – W2 D6 L13 in Germany). They have won five of their last six home games against German visitors.

• Benfica began the campaign with a 2-0 defeat by FC Zenit – their first reverse in 13 European home encounters (W11 D2) since a 2-0 loss to FC Barcelona in the 2012/13 UEFA Champions League group stage.

• After the Leverkusen setback, Jorge Jesus' men drew 0-0 with AS Monaco FC, Benfica's first victory in the section coming in the return against the French side when Talisca scored the only goal late on. The Portuguse club succumbed 1-0 to Zenit last time out to confirm their elimination.

Leverkusen
• Leverkusen qualified for their ninth group stage campaign with a 7-2 aggregate triumph over FC København in the play-offs, Stefan Kiessling scoring three.

• After finishing second in their group last season, they went out against Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16, losing 4-0 at home and 2-1 away.

• The Werkself's record in 13 games against Portuguese sides reads W5 D3 L5 (W4 D1 L2 at home – W1 D2 L3 in Portugal).

• Leverkusen began with a 1-0 defeat at Monaco. After beating Benfica they then won 2-0 at home and 2-1 away against Zenit before another 1-0 loss to Monaco.

Coach and player links
• Andreas Samaris and Kyriakos Papadopoulos are team-mates for Greece.

• Josip Drmić and Loris Benito play together for Switzerland and were team-mates at FC Zürich (2012–2013).

Match facts

Benfica
• Samaris and Luisão serve bans on matchday six. Lisandro is available after completing a two-game suspension. Eduardo Salvio and Enzo Pérez are a booking away from a ban.

• The Eagles have won their last six home games in all competitions, conceding just twice during that run.

• Benfica are unbeaten at home in the Liga since a 3-2 loss to FC Porto on 2 March 2012.

• Pérez converted a penalty – his first goal since May – as Benfica won 3-0 at home to CF Os Belenenses on Saturday.

• Luisão scored his first goal of the season in the 2-0 win at A. Académica de Coimbra on 30 November.

• Talisca was called up to the Brazil squad for November's friendlies against Turkey and Austria but did not play.

• Nicolás Gaitán (June 2018) and André Almeida (June 2019) extended their contracts in November.

• Holders Benfica will host SC Braga in the Portuguese Cup round of 16 on 17 December.

Leverkusen
• Emir Spahić is a booking away from a suspension.

• The Werkself have lost just three of their last 15 games in all competitions.

• Leverkusen have won two of their last nine away games, losing four.

• Leverkusen came from behind to win the Rhine derby 5-1 at home to 1. FC Köln on 29 November, with Karim Bellarabi and Josip Drmić each scoring two.

• On Saturday, Simon Rolfes announced that he will retire at the end of the season. "I will have played ten years for Bayer," he said. "Then it is time to step aside."

• Giulio Donati sustained a shoulder injury on matchday five and is expected to be out for two to three weeks.

• Stefan Reinartz (eye socket, out since 25 October) and Kyriakos Papadopoulos (shoulder, 1 November) are sidelined.