Barcelona 1 – 0 Benfica
Opportunistic Raphinha made the difference with a brilliant goal.
Despite having a numerical advantage, Benfica couldn’t break through Barcelona’s solid defense. Instead, they conceded a goal due to their own mistake. With just 10 men, Barcelona fought tooth and nail to claim a crucial victory.
In the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 on Wednesday night, Hansi Flick’s side secured a 1-0 win. Raphinha, with his 25th goal of the season across all competitions, was the match-winner.
Barcelona had to play with a man down from the 22nd minute after young defender Pau Cubarsí received a red card. However, they defended resolutely and emerged victorious.
Benfica dominated possession with nearly 52% of the ball, taking 26 shots, eight of which were on target. But Wojciech Stanczni was an impenetrable wall in goal. In contrast, Barcelona managed 10 shots, with five on target.
Outshooting, out-possessing, and outplaying Barcelona in all key areas is no easy task for any team. Benfica had the opportunity after Cubarsí’s red card, but their finishing let them down.
The match picked up right where their thrilling 9-goal encounter in the previous round left off. Benfica almost struck within 20 seconds, but Stanczni made a quick save to deny Kerem Akturkoglu’s shot.
In the opening minutes, Benfica kept pressing, with Nicolás Otamendi’s header being blocked by the Barcelona defense. Barcelona soon responded, as Dani Olmo narrowly missed a curling effort from a Raphinha pass.
In the ninth minute, Benfica’s goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin denied a header from Cubarsí. Moments later, he pulled off a stunning triple save to deny Olmo, Robert Lewandowski, and Lamine Yamal in quick succession.
Benfica’s Vangelis Pavlidis missed the target in the 16th minute, but six minutes later, he was fouled by Cubarsí in a desperate defensive effort. The referee immediately showed the Barcelona defender a red card.
It was the first red card in Cubarsí’s 65-game career for Barcelona across all competitions. At 18 years and 42 days old, he became the second-youngest player in Champions League history to receive a red card, behind Celestine Babayaro (16 years, 86 days).
Benfica nearly capitalized on the ensuing free-kick, but Stanczni dived to push Orkun Kökçü’s strike away for a corner.
To reinforce the defense, Hansi Flick replaced Olmo with Ronald Araújo in the 28th minute. However, despite being down to 10 men, Barcelona continued to play attacking football instead of parking the bus.
Benfica, utilizing their numerical advantage and fast-paced play, controlled the midfield and pinned Barcelona back late in the first half. The Catalans struggled to move out of their own half.
Just before halftime, Akturkoglu had another golden chance but was once again denied by the outstanding Stanczni, who spread his arms wide to block the Turkish winger’s close-range header.
At halftime, Barcelona had 60% possession with eight shots, four on target. Benfica, meanwhile, attempted 11 shots but only managed three on target.
The second half began with Benfica taking the first shot on goal. Kökçü’s low strike from outside the box almost caught Stanczni off guard, but the Barcelona goalkeeper reacted quickly to make the save.
Three minutes later, Pavlidis squandered another great chance, firing over the bar from six yards out.
In the 51st minute, Stanczni came to Barcelona’s rescue once again, diving to block Frederik Aursnes’ shot before scrambling to clear the loose ball as Pavlidis rushed in for a rebound.
Barcelona finally took the lead in the 61st minute, capitalizing on a defensive error. A weak back pass from António Silva was intercepted by Raphinha, who unleashed a powerful shot from outside the box, curling it past the goalkeeper into the net.
The in-form Brazilian forward now has nine goals in the competition this season.
Despite Benfica’s relentless attacks, they struggled to create clear-cut chances. In the 77th minute, Akturkoglu’s effort from inside the box was once again saved by the brilliant Stanczni.
In the 82nd minute, the referee awarded a penalty after Stanczni fouled Andrea Belotti inside the box. However, VAR intervened and overturned the decision as Belotti was offside at the start of the move.
Benfica still had time to find an equalizer, but their rushed finishing let them down. In the final moments of stoppage time, Renato Sanches forced another superb reflex save from Stanczni, sealing a hard-fought win for Barcelona.
The second leg will take place next Tuesday at the Camp Nou.
