Benfica vs Barcelona Review
Barcelona staged an astonishing comeback at Estádio da Luz during a UEFA Champions League match, overcoming a 4-2 deficit to secure a 5-4 victory. Benfica, desperate for a win after only one victory in their last seven UCL games at this venue, struck first just two minutes into the match. A long diagonal pass found Fredrik Aursnes at the edge of the box, who then crossed to Vangelis Pavlidis, allowing him to score his second UCL goal of the season from close range.
However, Barcelona quickly responded by earning a penalty when Tomás Araújo clipped Alejandro Balde’s heel in the box. Robert Lewandowski calmly converted the penalty, deceiving Anatoliy Trubin with a hop before placing the ball in the bottom-right corner, marking his 86th successful penalty out of 96 attempts.
A few minutes later, Gavi was given a chance on goal due to a deflection, forcing a quick save from Trubin. Barcelona could have built on this momentum, but their series of mistakes quickly returned. A long ball from Benfica led to Wojciech Szczęsny recklessly rushing out of his box and colliding with Balde, allowing Pavlidis to easily score into an empty net.
Things worsened for Szczęsny when he fouled Kerem Aktürkoğlu after he broke through the defense. Pavlidis then completed his hat-trick with a composed shot down the middle. Barcelona managed to avoid further disaster for the remainder of the half, except for Raphinha missing a chance when it seemed easier to score from a Benfica mistake.
After halftime, they came out strong, with Jules Koundé receiving a long ball but mishitting his shot, which could have reduced the deficit. Lamine Yamal had a chance to succeed where Koundé failed, but he shot well over the goal after receiving a lofted pass near the Benfica box. At the one-hour mark, Barcelona’s coach Hansi Flick made two substitutions in an effort to salvage some dignity from a tough night in Lisbon. The comeback began almost immediately with a bizarre goal, as Trubin’s routine clearance hit Raphinha’s head and went straight into the net, boosting Barcelona’s confidence.
However, that confidence was quickly dashed when Benfica scored again, with Tomás Araújo’s cross finding Andreas Schjelderup, whose pass was deflected into the goal by Ronald Araújo. Barcelona refused to give up and earned a second penalty when Nicolás Otamendi brought down Yamal in the box. Lewandowski converted the penalty in the same spot as before, creating a tense finish for Benfica. Ultimately, the pressure proved too much for Benfica, as Pedri delivered a cross to the back post that Eric García headed in from close range.
The drama continued deep into injury time when Benfica’s penalty appeal was denied, and Raphinha scored on the counterattack, leaving Benfica’s chances of direct qualification for the Round of 16 in serious doubt while solidifying Barcelona’s own chances.