Raphinha marked a wonderful long -range strike while Barcelona overcome Benfica to obtain a thin advantage of the first leg despite most of the game with 10 men.
The Brazilian playmaker put the only goal of the competition on time after Pau Cubarsi received a straight red card just 20 minutes from the match when he saw Vangelis Pavlidis.
The Hansi Flick team defended itself resolutely for 70 minutes, inevitating the inevitable attack attack in Lisbon to put an end to the eight invanned Benfica games in all competitions.
For hosts, it will look like a missed opportunity to gain the upper hand in the tie. For Flick and CO. They will have the impression that they have given themselves a great chance to go to the last eight.
🔥🔥🔥 Full time! 🔥🔥🔥# Benficabarça @Championsleague pic.twitter.com/RAPAPI6DCJ
– FC Barcelona (@FcBarcelona) March 5, 2025
How the action took place
A noisy Di Estadio has often proven a great prospect for any visiting team, especially when Benfica is on their courage.
Barcelona knew it too well, after having just prevailed in an exciting victory of 5-4 when the two parties met in the league phase in January.
And it seemed that fans inside the stadium of light could be in another frantic evening because, in 30 seconds, the goalkeeper of Barcelona Wojciech Sczczesny was called in action to prevent Kerem Akturkoglu.
It was a signal of intention of blisters of the hosts, but the Liga team quickly sought to calm the competition with their usual exchanges of passage.
He was soon the turn of Benfica, Anatoliy Trubin, to show his value. The Ukrainian released a series of wonderful stops after the ball found its way to Robert Lewandowski, but visitors failed to force the ball at home.
The hopes of Barcelona of a strong first stage projection were then held a blow when, after only 20 minutes, Cubarsi was shown a right red card when he was tried for having denied a goal of scorer while Pavlidis broke out.
Barcelona at 10 men! 🟥
Pau Cubarsi is sent for a challenge on Vangelis Pavlidis outside the box
📺 @Tntsports & @discoveryplusuk pic.twitter.com/yidocqtxem
– Football on TNT SPORTS (@footballontnt) March 5, 2025
It was far from the way Flick was considering the evening. Benfica, meanwhile, felt an opportunity. Sczczesny saved Pavlidis before the boss of Barcelona chose to strengthen his defense by replacing Dani Olmo by Ronald Araujo.
The guest survey, visitors would surely have reached a dead end. But shortly after the break, Barcelona was the one that breaks in the dead end.
Raphinha, who was a sparkling form for the Catalan club, has picked up his 25th goal of the season – and the contribution of the 43rd goal in 40 games this quarter – with a wonderful long -term strike.
Barcelona breaks the impasse 🔓
This is already seen for Benfica while Raphinha again haunts the Estadio de Luz with a long -term strike after the poor pass of Silva
📺 @Tntsports & @discoveryplusuk pic.twitter.com/lywj4zhkur
– Football on TNT SPORTS (@footballontnt) March 5, 2025
Being on a Benfica error, the Brazilian loaded down on the back line of Benfica before tearing off a low shooting down in the lower corner of the edge of the box.
Cue wild scenes in the canoe outside while visitors suddenly had something to hang on.
But there was still a long way to go. Shortly after, the hosts then seemed to have been able to have a penalty when Andrea Belotti exceeded Sczcesny, but the attacker was already offside.
At this point, it was one -way traffic when Benfica has desperately looking for a goal. Joao Rego attempted an aerial kick. Arthur Cabral caused chaos in the Barcelona penalty area. Sczcesny came again to rescue the visitor when he beat the late effort of Renato Sanches.
In the end, their efforts were finally unsuccessful while Barcelona wanted to bring back a thin advantage to the Spotify Camp Nou next week.
