Raphinha from Barcelona netted a goal in the dying moments of stoppage time, securing a thrilling 5-4 comeback victory over Benfica and advancing his team into the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday, following a hat-trick by Vangelis Pavlidis that had put the home team ahead by two goals at halftime.
Barcelona Early Struggles
The Catalans displayed their struggling La Liga performance with an uncertain beginning at the Estadio da Luz, while coach Hansi Flick’s choice to start goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny prompted concerns, as the Pole’s mistakes contributed to two goals for Benfica.
However, Flick’s team rallied in the closing moments of the match to secure their place in the next round, currently holding second position with 18 points after seven matches as they approach next week’s final fixtures of the first phase.
Benfica Missed Opportunity
Benfica failed to secure a victory that could have moved them nearer to the top eight teams, which automatically qualify for the last 16, falling to 18th place with 10 points within the playoff zone.
Post-Match Reflections
“We anticipated that it would be a challenging match. I understand how tough it is to compete here against Benfica. They possess players at the highest caliber,” former Sporting forward Raphinha shared with Movistar.
We kept our composure even when we were trailing 3-1. It was an exciting game for the fans. Either team had a chance to win.
Early Drama and Key Moments
Greek forward Pavlidis began the scoring just two minutes into the match with a simple tap-in, while Robert Lewandowski leveled the score with a penalty after VAR determined that Tomas Araujo had fouled Alejandro Balde in the 11th minute.
Pavlidis reclaimed Benfica’s advantage by taking advantage of a mistake by goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, who left the striker with an empty net. The 26-year-old secured his third goal with a penalty after Szczesny brought down Kerem Akturkoglu in the 30th minute.
Second-Half Action
An error from Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin turned out to be expensive as he kicked the ball directly onto Raphinha’s head, resulting in a strange goal that allowed the visitors to reduce the deficit to 3-2 in the 64th minute.
Barcelona’s defensive woes persisted, and Benfica increased their advantage four minutes later due to an own goal by Ronald Araujo before Lewandowski netted his second with a precise penalty in the 78th minute.
Eric Garcia, who came on as a substitute, leveled the score with a powerful header from an excellent cross by Pedri just three minutes before the end of the match. Then, Raphinha struck the decisive goal six minutes into stoppage time following a rapid counter-attack that shocked the home fans.
Players Reactions
It was a remarkable win. The team maintained their composure during the entire match, defender Garcia stated. When you begin the game at a disadvantage, it disrupts your strategy.
It’s crucial to advance to the next round, we approached this with that goal in mind.
Upcoming Fixtures
Barcelona will play against Atalanta in their last match of the first phase next Wednesday, while Benfica aims to recover their form at Juventus.
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