Barcelona showcased resilience and determination in their Champions League round-of-16 first-leg match against Benfica, securing a hard-fought 1-0 victory at the Estádio da Luz. Despite going down to 10 men early in the game, the Spanish giants held firm and capitalized on a crucial mistake to take an important advantage into the second leg.
Raphinha’s Decisive Goal
The winning moment came in the 61st minute when Raphinha capitalized on a defensive error from Benfica. A misplaced pass across the box landed perfectly for the Brazilian, who struck a low shot that deflected off a defender before finding the back of the net. It was Barcelona’s only shot on target in the second half, yet it proved to be the difference in a high-intensity encounter.
Barcelona Battles with 10 Men
The game took a dramatic turn in the 22nd minute when teenage defender Pau Cubarsi was shown a straight red card for a last-man foul on Vangelis Pavlidis. With Barcelona reduced to 10 players, they shifted into a defensive stance, relying on counterattacks and set pieces to trouble Benfica.
Benfica pushed forward aggressively but struggled to break through Barcelona’s disciplined defensive setup. Despite holding more possession and taking 26 shots, the home side failed to convert their chances, leaving them with a frustrating result at home.
Szczesny’s Heroics
Barcelona’s stand-in goalkeeper, Wojciech Szczesny, was the undisputed hero of the night. His quick reflexes and positioning frustrated the Portuguese side, especially in the dying moments when he palmed away a thunderous strike from Renato Sanches.
Szczesny was called into action as early as the first minute, making a brilliant one-handed save to deny Kerem Aktürkoglu. He continued to shine throughout the match, keeping Barcelona in the game despite Benfica dominating possession and creating multiple goal-scoring opportunities.
Match Statistics
| Statistic | Benfica | Barcelona |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 52% | 48% |
| Shots on Goal | 8 | 5 |
| Shot Attempts | 26 | 10 |
| Fouls | 18 | 5 |
| Yellow Cards | 4 | 1 |
| Red Cards | 0 | 1 |
| Corner Kicks | 13 | 4 |
| Saves | 4 | 8 |
Post-Match Reactions
Barcelona midfielder Pedri praised the team’s determination, saying, “Szczesny saved us so many times today. Playing with 10 men was tough, but we defended really well and took our chance when it came.”
Benfica’s Fredrik Aursnes expressed disappointment at the missed opportunities. “It’s a bad result for us. We had good chances, especially after they went down to 10 men. But we couldn’t score, and we paid the price for that.”
What’s Next?
With this crucial away win, Barcelona holds the upper hand heading into the second leg at the Camp Nou. Benfica will need to be more clinical in front of goal if they hope to turn the tie around and advance to the quarterfinals.
The winner of this tie will face either Bayern Munich or Inter Milan in the next round, setting the stage for another thrilling Champions League showdown.
