Victories over Los Angeles FC and ES Tunis were enough for the Blues to advance from Group D and secure a place in the round of 16. Benfica, meanwhile, topped Group C ahead of Bayern Munich and are unbeaten in the competition.

It's why Maresca is well aware of the challenge that awaits his Blues side at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte tomorrow – and he believes there will be little to separate the two sides.

He said: 'I think Benfica – not only in this competition but always – are a big club in Europe. In the last game, they beat Bayern Munich, which shows how good they are and what they are able to do.

'I think it’s going to be a balanced game. In this tournament, at this stage and these conditions, it’s difficult to see a big difference between teams. So I’m quite sure it’s going to be a balanced game, a tough game, and in this kind of game, the small details are very important.'

Maresca and his staff have, as always, undertaken their analysis of Benfica. The Chelsea head coach says 'it's very clear' how Eagles like to play in and out of possession, but appreciates that knockout football provides a different dynamic.

He explained: 'Now we’re in a knockout game and in a knockout game anything can happen. That is not just for us, it’s for every club, and the players are aware that at this moment the team that makes the most mistakes will be the team that are back home the day after.

'The most important thing is the way we prepare ourselves. It’s very complicated at this moment, for many reasons, to see games where the difference between the two teams is big. They are more or less very close, and it’s a game where the details are going to make the difference.'

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