Lisbon, March 5, 2025 (Newspot Nigeria) – In a thrilling encounter, Raphinha’s second-half goal propelled a resilient Barcelona to a 1-0 victory over Benfica in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday. The match was particularly challenging for the Catalan giants, who were reduced to 10 men early in the game.
Barcelona’s teenage defender, Pau Cubarsi, was shown a straight red card in the 22nd minute for a last-man foul on Benfica’s Vangelis Pavlidis. Despite the numerical disadvantage, Barcelona displayed remarkable determination and solid defensive organization, largely thanks to the outstanding performance of goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.
Szczesny, who came out of retirement to fill in for the injured Marc-Andre ter Stegen, was in phenomenal form, making a series of crucial saves that kept Barcelona in contention. His heroics began just seconds after kickoff when he denied Kerem Akturkoglu with a one-handed save and continued throughout the match as Benfica dominated possession and attempted 15 shots.
The breakthrough for Barcelona came in the 61st minute when Raphinha seized on a defensive error from the Benfica backline. His low strike, which deflected off a defender, found its way into the net just inside the left post, handing Barcelona a valuable lead.
After the match, Barcelona midfielder Pedri praised Szczesny’s performance, stating, “Szczesny saved us many times today; he is outstanding. You have to give a lot of credit for the team’s effort after going a man down so early in the game.”
With this narrow victory, Barcelona will head into the second leg with a slim advantage, looking to secure their place in the quarter-finals of the prestigious tournament.
For more updates and news, stay connected with Newspot Nigeria.
Share your story or advertise with us: Whatsapp: +2347068606071 Email: info@newspotng.com
