Barcelona will be taking on Benfica at the Estdo da Luz in a 2012 UEFA Champions League matchup. Barcelona will aim to get an early lead when they take on the respective club in order to avoid the pressure of another dramatic comeback. Although the club may have been victorious in each of their seven games in Europe and La Liga thus far, most haven't been won in their trademark dominant fashion.

One of Barcelona's respective pressure cookers happened recently when their victory at Sevilla needed goals from David Villa and Cesc Fabregas in the very last two minutes of game play. The tight circumstance was quite similar to their matchup from two weeks prior against Spartak Moscow. Tito Vilanova's squad was losing 2-1 on their home turf with just 20 minutes left remaining before star Lionel Messi made his presence known.

Most of Barcelona's problems in the early going can be attributed to their defense. With the absences of the center-back tandem of Carlos Puyol and Gerard Pique, Alex Song has struggled in his new defender role on the team alongside former midfielder Javier Mascherano.

On a positive note, Puyol has been practicing and is likely to return for the start against Benfica. Also, Andres Iniesta is expected to come back from his injury. Midfielder Thiago Alcantara is a different story and should be out for two months as he recovers from a knee injury.

The current matchup may not come easily for Barcelona, as Benfica did make it to the quarterfinals of last season's competition. However, the club is still considered the clear-cut favorite to prevail in this game and potentially as overall champions. Benfica will look to cause an upset and steal the wide open Group G qualification spot.

CLICK HERE to watch Barcelona vs. Benfica via live stream. Coverage will begin on Tues, Oct. 2 at 19:45 BST (14:45 ET)

Tags
Uefa 2012, Television