Barcelona pulled off a hard-fought 1-0 win over Benfica in their Champions League last-16 first-leg clash on Wednesday, despite playing most of the game with 10 men.
Raphinha’s powerful strike in the 61st minute proved to be the difference, giving the Catalan giants a narrow advantage heading into the second leg at home.
The victory didn’t come easy, though, as teenage defender Pau Cubarsí was sent off just 22 minutes into the game, leaving Barça to battle against the odds in Lisbon.
Raphinha Delivers After Early Setback
Barcelona, chasing their first Champions League title since 2015, faced an uphill task when Cubarsí was shown a straight red for bringing down Benfica striker Vangelis Pavlidis, who had caused them trouble in the group stages.
Despite being a man down, Barça held firm, with veteran goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny—signed as emergency cover for the injured Marc-André ter Stegen—making crucial saves to keep the hosts at bay.
Benfica nearly took the lead before halftime when Kerem Aktürkoğlu’s close-range header forced another brilliant stop from Szczęsny.
At the other end, Barcelona came close as Dani Olmo fired just wide and Benfica’s Anatoliy Trubin pulled off an incredible triple save to deny Olmo, Robert Lewandowski, and Lamine Yamal in quick succession.
Second-Half Breakthrough
Hansi Flick made tactical adjustments in the second half, bringing on Ferran Torres for Yamal to add fresh legs in attack.
That switch paid off as Raphinha pounced on a loose ball, drove forward, and unleashed a powerful low strike that deflected past Trubin to put Barça ahead.
It was the Brazilian’s ninth goal in nine Champions League appearances, further proving his importance to Flick’s side.
Barça Dig Deep to Hold On
Benfica threw everything forward in search of an equalizer, and the tension rose when Szczęsny brought down Andrea Belotti inside the box. However, the referee ruled out a penalty after spotting an offside in the build-up, allowing Barcelona to breathe a sigh of relief.
With their slim lead intact, Barça now head into the second leg at the Olympic Stadium next Tuesday with the upper hand, hoping to finish the job and advance to the quarter-finals.
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