Barcelona and Benfica tackle Ramadan in Champions League duel

    Tonight's Champions League round-of-16 second-leg clash between Barcelona and Benfica at the Estadi Olimpic Lluís Companys is set to kick off at 18:45 and it's throwing up a rare challenge for both clubs.

    lamine-yamal-celebrates-after-scoring-barcelona-s-fifth-goal16 lamine-yamal-celebrates-after-scoring-barcelona-s-fifth-goal16

    The early start time overlaps with Ramadan, meaning several players fasting for the Muslim holy month will need special attention as the sun sets mid-match.

    The first leg in Lisbon on March 5 saw Barcelona nick a gritty 1-0 win, thanks to a Raphinha screamer, despite being down to ten men for over 70 minutes after Pau Cubarsí's early red card.

    Tonight, just seven minutes into the game, at 18h52, the sun will set over Barcelona, letting players like Barcelona's Lamine Yamal and Ansu Fati, and Benfica's Orkun Kokcu, Kerem Akturkoglu, and Zeki Amdouni, break their fast after more than 11 hours.

    Both teams have plans in place: a quick pitch-side refuel once the sun's down, followed by a proper feed at half-time to keep their energy up.

    Barcelona boss Hansi Flick, in his debut season, has said: "We've prepared for this. The lads are professionals, they'll get what they need to stay sharp."

    Benfica's Bruno Lage, who took over after Roger Schmidt's sacking last August, added: "It's unusual, but we're adaptable. We should've won the first leg 5-1, we've got a point to prove."

    The stakes are high. Barcelona, five-time champions, hold a slim lead, but Benfica, two-time winners themselves, still fancy their chances. Midfielder Fredrik Aursnes told UEFA.com: "We believe we can go there and turn it around."

    This isn't just about goals, it's a battle of resilience, with sunset adding extra intrigue as Barcelona aim for the quarter-finals against either Borussia Dortmund or Lille, and Benfica look to flip the script in Catalonia.