Barcelona secured a hard-fought 1-0 win against Benfica in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on
Wednesday. The Catalan giants were reduced to 10 men after Pau Cubarsi’s red card, but they managed to hold on
and score a crucial away goal.
The match got off to a lively start, with both teams creating scoring opportunities. Benfica’s Vangelis Pavlidis was
denied by a superb save from Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, while Robert Lewandowski was also denied
by a brilliant double save from Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin.
The turning point of the match came on 20 minutes when Cubarsi was sent off for a last-man tackle on Pavlidis. The
red card left Barcelona with a mountain to climb, but they managed to regroup and defend solidly.
Despite being a man down, Barcelona managed to create some scoring opportunities. Raphinha’s pace and skill
caused problems for the Benfica defense, and he eventually scored the winning goal on the hour mark.
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Raphinha’s goal was a stunning individual effort. He intercepted a loose ball in midfield, drove forward, and unleashed
a powerful shot that found the bottom corner of the net via a slight deflection.
Benfica pushed hard for an equalizer, but Szczesny made some crucial saves to deny them. The Polish goalkeeper
was in inspired form, making several spectacular saves to keep his team ahead.
Despite being reduced to 10 men, they managed to hold on and secure a crucial away win. The result gives Barcelona
a significant advantage heading into the second leg as they will be looking to build on this win and secure a place in
the Champions League quarterfinals.
