Champions League: Barcelona seek Clasico tonic

Barcelona’s Luis Suarez (from left), Lionel Messi, Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets and Ivan Rakitic at a training session at the Sports Center Joan Gamper on Monday, the eve of their Champions League first leg quarter-final against Atletico de Madrid. (Photo: AFP )

Holders Barcelona will seek to overcome their defeat in El Clasico when they host Atletico Madrid on Tuesday in an all-Spanish Champions League quarter-final, first leg at the Camp Nou.

On a night when Barca paid tribute to the late Dutch great Johan Cruyff, the Catalan giants’ 39-game unbeaten run came to a halt after goals from Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo erased Gerard Pique’s opener.

“For me this game is history,” said Barca coach Luis Enrique, electing to turn the page rather than reflect on Saturday’s loss.

“There is no pain. We came into the game on the back of many games without losing, but defeats can teach you things and the players know that.”

Barcelona have won the last six meetings with Atletico, but it was Los Rojiblancos who advanced when the two sides clashed at this stage of the 2013-14 competition — the only time Barca have failed to reach the semis in the past eight seasons.

Bayern Munich host Portuguese league leaders Benfica in the first leg with Pep Guardiola’s side bidding to reach the last four for the fifth year running.

Bayern laboured to a 1-0 win at home to Eintracht Frankfurt as they remained five points clear of Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga, but skipper Philipp Lahm warned they would need to up their level against Benfica.

“After an international break it’s often difficult. That’s perfectly normal,” said Lahm.

“I think it’s going to be a completely different match (on Tuesday). We’ll be perfectly prepared. We need a better performance, but I’m not worrying about that.”

Bayern will be without Arjen Robben at the Allianz Arena, but the hosts should have France winger Kingsley Coman available after sitting out Saturday’s victory with a leg injury.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic powered Paris Saint-Germain to a 4-1 win over Nice at the weekend and the French champions will again look to their Swedish star when they take on Manchester City at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday.

Paris reached the Champions League semi-finals in 1994-95, but City, despite their indifferent Premier League displays, are through to the last eight for the first time.

History is on the Bavarians’ side Bayern have won all three previous meetings with Benfica in European competition on their way to winning the 1975/76 European Cup, reaching the 1981/82 European Cup final and lifting the Uefa Cup in 1995/96.

Nevertheless Rui Vitoria will bring his Benfica side to the Allianz Arena knowing it will be “very difficult, but we are up for a challenge”.

“Sometimes the only way to neutralise tougher opponents is to recognise their strengths, be aware that it will be a hard match, and understand that to achieve anything you have to go through difficulties,\" Vitoria told Uefa.com.

“We go into this game knowing our opponents are candidates to win the Champions League, but we won’t be backing down.”

Benfica have won 19 of their last 20 games in all competitions.