Hertha out to upset home birds

There was little to choose between SL Benfica and Hertha BSC Berlin when they met in their UEFA Europa League round of 32 opener in Germany, but something will have to give as the tie is settled in Lisbon.

• Angel Di María gave the Eagles a fourth-minute lead in Berlin, but the game ended 1-1 after Javi García directed Łukasz Piszczek's cross into his own net soon after the half-hour mark.

Previous meetings
• Hertha, who overcame Sporting Clube de Portugal on Matchday 6, had never met Benfica until last season's UEFA Cup group stage, when the teams drew 1-1 at the Olympiastadion. Hertha were coached by Lucien Favre while Quique Sánchez Flores was in charge at Benfica.

• The teams for that game on 23 October 2008 were:
Hertha: Drobný, Chahed, Friedrich (Kaká 53), Šimunić, Stein (Pantelić 66), Lustenberger, Dardai (Kačar 46), Cícero, Nicu, Raffael, Voronin.
Benfica: Quim, Maxi Pereira, Luisão, Sidnei, Jorge Ribeiro, Di María, Katsouranis (Martins 66), Binya, Reyes (Urreta 72), Nuno Gomes, Óscar Cardozo (Suazo 46).

Match background
• Hertha have played eight times against Portuguese opposition, winning two, drawing two and losing four. They have lost all three of their previous games in Portugal by the same scoreline, 1-0.

• Benfica have played 31 matches against Bundesliga opposition (W7 D12 L12). Their 14 home games against German teams have ended W7 D6 L1, with FC Bayern München the only Bundesliga side to beat them on home soil, 3-1 in a December 1995 UEFA Cup game.

• Hertha last featured in the last 32 of the UEFA Cup in 2005/06 when they were knocked out by FC Rapid Bucureşti, losing 1-0 at home and 2-0 in Romania.

• They were knocked out of the UEFA Cup fourth round by Boavista FC in 2002/03.

• Eliminated from the 2004/05 and 2006/07 rounds of 32 by PFC CSKA Moskva and FC Dinamo Bucureşti, it was third time lucky for Benfica in 2007/08 when they progressed at the expense of 1. FC Nürnberg.

• Benfica have won all four of their European home games this season, scoring 13 goals and conceding just one.

• Hertha have won their last two UEFA Europa League away games.

Team facts 
• Hertha will look to complete a double over the big Lisbon clubs having beaten Sporting 1-0 in their final UEFA Europa League group-stage game in December.

• Gojko Kačar's 70th-minute goal at the Olympiastadion confirmed their place in the round of 32.

• Arne Friedrich was in the Germany team that defeated a Portugal side including Nuno Gomes in the UEFA EURO 2008 quarter-finals. Jorge Ribeiro was on the bench for Portugal.

• The winners of this tie face either FC København or Olympique de Marseille in the round of 16 on 11 and 18 March, playing the first leg at home.

Penalties
• Benfica have taken part in two European penalty shoot-outs, losing their first 6-5 to PSV Eindhoven after a 0-0 draw in the 1987/88 European Champion Clubs' Cup final in Stuttgart. They then won 4-1 against PAOK FC at home after a 3-3 aggregate draw in the 1999/00 UEFA Cup second round.

• Hertha have never been involved in a shoot-out in European club competition.

Hertha 
Suspended: none
Misses next match if booked: Arne Friedrich
Players added to squad: Fanis Gekas, Levan Kobiashvili, Timo Ochs
Players removed from squad: Cesar, Kaká

Benfica
Suspended: Ramires
Misses next match if booked: Júlio César
Players added to squad: Éder Luís, Alan Kardec, Airton
Players removed from squad: José Shaffer, Keirrison, Luís Filipe, Nélson Oliveira