Benfica are on a tightrope going in Wednesday's clash with AC Milan, the defending champions. The Lisbon Eagles failed to make it out of the Group stage last season, and to avoid the same fate as early as Matchday 5 they must beat Milan - or draw with the Rossoneri and hope that the Celtic-Shakhtar Donetsk tie in Glasgow also finishes in stalemate.
Jose Antonio Camacho's Benfica are propping up Group D, three points adrift of Shakhtar and Celtic.
But their task will be made no easier by the fact that Milan can secure their own qualification to the knockout round in this game. Victory for Carlo Ancelotti's team will guarantee that, and a draw will also be enough for the
Rossoneri if the clash at Parkhead produces a winner.
Milan and Benfica were finalists in 1963 when the Italians became the first team from outside the Iberian Peninsula to win the European Cup, and again in 1990 when Milan also triumphed. They met at the San Siro on Matchday 1, when Milan won 2-1 with goals from Andrea Pirlo after nine minutes and Filippo Inzaghi after 24. Nuno Gomes got a consolation for Benfica in stoppage-time.
Benfica lost 1-0 to Shakhtar on Matchday 2, beat Celtic 1-0 on Matchday 3 but were beaten 1-0 by the Bhoys in the return, and cannot survive a fourth defeat in the Group.
But while Milan also lost at Celtic (2-1), they beat Shakhtar home (4-1) and away (3-0) on Matchdays 3 and 4.
Both Celtic and Shakhtar Donetsk can make it through to the last 16, lying level on six points, three points behind Milan - but also three ahead of Benfica. They clash at Celtic Park with the possibility that one of them will secure qualification with a game to spare.
For that to happen, Milan must avoid defeat in Lisbon. Then Shakhtar would advance with a victory in Glasgow. SPL champions Celtic though, would have to win by more than the two clear goals because of the head-to-head criterion. When the two sides met in Donetsk on Matchday 1, Brand?o put Shakhtar ahead within six minutes and Cristiano Lucarelli doubled the advantage two minutes later.
Coach Mircea Lucescu saw his team go on to beat Benfica 1-0 away, but they were then thumped twice by Milan. They will have a tough task on their hands in Glasgow, because Aiden McGeady's goal that beat Benfica on Matchday 4 made it eleven wins for Celtic in 15 Champions League matches at Parkhead, where they have picked up maximum points from each of their last five home games at the Group stage.
