Barcelona Stuns Benfica with Dramatic Comeback, Raphinha Seals Victory in Injury Time
Robert Lewandowski pulled one back for Barcelona with a penalty
- Barcelona staged an incredible comeback, twice fighting back from two goals down
- Robert Lewandowski pulled one back for Barcelona with a penalty, keeping them in the game.
- Barcelona equalized when Lewandowski converted a penalty after Tomas Araujo was adjudged to have fouled Alejandro Balde.
Barcelona staged an incredible comeback, twice fighting back from two goals down and capitalizing on two costly mistakes by goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny to secure a thrilling 5-4 win at Benfica.
The match got off to a dream start for the hosts, with Greek striker Vangelis Pavlidis completing a first-half hat-trick within 30 minutes, aided by two errors from Polish keeper Szczesny.
Robert Lewandowski pulled one back for Barcelona with a penalty, keeping them in the game.
In the second half, goals from Raphinha and Lewandowski, sandwiched around an own goal by Barcelona’s Ronald Araujo, narrowed the deficit to 4-3.
With time running out, Eric Garcia powered in a header to equalize for Barcelona. In the dying seconds of the match, just after Szczesny had denied Ángel Di María and Benfica was denied a penalty, Raphinha seized an opportunity on a counterattack and slotted past Anatoliy Trubin to give Barcelona the win and secure their spot in the last 16.
Benfica, who had started the match strong, must have been left wondering how they lost their advantage. Their early goal came from Pavlidis, who was set up by a cross from Álvaro Carreras, catching Barcelona’s defense off guard.
Barcelona equalized when Lewandowski converted a penalty after Tomas Araujo was adjudged to have fouled Alejandro Balde.
Then came Szczesny’s costly mistakes. The goalkeeper, making his first Champions League start for Barcelona after returning from retirement in October, first collided with Balde while attempting to clear a long ball, leaving Pavlidis with an easy finish. He later fouled Benfica’s Kerem Aktürkoglu, gifting Pavlidis the opportunity to score from the penalty spot and complete his hat-trick.
Barcelona pulled one back through a bizarre own goal by Trubin’s clearance, which hit Raphinha’s head and looped into the net. Despite Benfica restoring their two-goal lead with an Andreas Schjelderup cross deflecting off Araujo’s leg into the net, Lewandowski’s second penalty kept Barcelona in the hunt.
As the game neared its conclusion, Garcia’s header leveled the score, setting the stage for Raphinha’s dramatic last-minute strike, leaving the home crowd stunned and ensuring Barcelona’s comeback victory.
