Raphinha gives 10-man Barcelona 1st-leg win at Benfica
Benfica vs Barcelona
Raphinha emerged as the decisive figure for Barcelona, striking a crucial second-half winner to secure a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Benfica on Wednesday, a result that handed the Catalan giants a slender but vital advantage in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie. The match, played under the intense atmosphere of the Estádio da Luz, was a testament to Barcelona’s resilience, as they overcame the significant setback of a red card to teenage defender Pau Cubarsi just 22 minutes into the game. Reduced to ten men for over an hour, Barcelona faced a relentless Benfica side that dominated possession and created a plethora of scoring opportunities. Yet, through a combination of dogged defending, a moment of opportunism from Raphinha, and an extraordinary performance from goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, Barcelona managed to defy the odds and leave Lisbon with a result that few could have predicted after Cubarsi’s early dismissal. The victory underscored the team’s grit and determination, qualities that will be essential as they prepare to defend their lead in the return leg at the Camp Nou.
The game took a dramatic turn in the 22nd minute when Cubarsi, an 18-year-old prodigy who had been a revelation in Barcelona’s backline this season, was shown a straight red card for a last-man foul on Benfica’s Vangelis Pavlidis. The incident occurred as Pavlidis broke through on goal, leaving Cubarsi with little choice but to intervene, though his challenge was deemed reckless by the referee. With Barcelona suddenly a man down, the complexion of the match shifted dramatically, handing Benfica the initiative and forcing the visitors into a defensive posture that would define their evening. For the remaining 68 minutes, Barcelona were under siege, their defensive structure stretched to its limits as Benfica sought to capitalize on their numerical advantage. However, rather than crumble under the pressure, Barcelona rallied around their goalkeeper, Wojciech Szczesny, whose heroics in goal would prove to be the backbone of their improbable triumph. The Polish veteran, who had come out of retirement to join Barcelona following Marc-André ter Stegen’s season-ending knee injury in September, delivered a performance that will be remembered as one of the finest of his illustrious career.
Szczesny’s brilliance was evident from the outset, with his first significant intervention coming just 30 seconds after kickoff. Benfica’s Pavlidis pounced on an early Barcelona error, feeding Kerem Aktürkoglu inside the box, who unleashed a low, driven shot that seemed destined for the net. Szczesny, however, reacted with lightning reflexes, diving to his right to produce a stunning one-handed save that kept the score level. It was a sign of things to come, as the 34-year-old goalkeeper became a near-impenetrable wall between the posts. Over the course of the match, he made eight saves—five of them in the second half alone—as Benfica ramped up the pressure, finishing the game with over 60% possession and 15 attempts on goal. Szczesny’s standout moments included a breathtaking reflex save to deny Fredrik Aursnes from point-blank range shortly after the interval, and a late, acrobatic stop to palm away a ferocious strike from Renato Sanches in the fourth minute of stoppage time. Each save was a masterclass in goalkeeping, blending anticipation, agility, and sheer determination, and it was no surprise that his teammates hailed him as the night’s true hero. “Szczesny saved us many times today, he is outstanding,” Barcelona midfielder Pedri told Movistar Plus, echoing the sentiments of a team that owed their victory to their goalkeeper’s superhuman efforts.
Despite Szczesny’s heroics, the game remained a tense, attritional affair until Raphinha’s moment of magic in the 61st minute turned the tide. With Barcelona offering little in the way of attacking threat—managing just a handful of forays forward and only one shot on target in the second half—the Brazilian winger seized upon a rare Benfica mistake to deliver the knockout blow. The opportunity arose when a sloppy defensive pass across the Benfica box fell into Raphinha’s path. Showing the composure and predatory instinct that have made him a key figure for Barcelona this season, he latched onto the loose ball, took a touch, and fired a low shot that took a slight deflection off a defender before nestling just inside the left post. The goal, coming against the run of play, sparked wild celebrations among the Barcelona players and staff, who recognized its significance in the context of the tie. For Raphinha, it was a moment of personal triumph, but he was quick to credit the collective effort, particularly Szczesny’s contribution, in keeping the team in contention long enough for him to make the difference.
Benfica, for their part, were left to rue a night of missed opportunities and a lack of clinical finishing that ultimately cost them dearly. With their numerical advantage, they dominated the game statistically, controlling possession and peppering Szczesny’s goal with shots from all angles. Yet, for all their enterprise, they could not find a way past the inspired Barcelona goalkeeper, and their frustration was palpable as the match wore on. Fredrik Aursnes, one of Benfica’s standout performers, encapsulated the mood in the home camp when he spoke to Benfica TV after the game: “It’s a bad result, we had good chances today, especially when they got the red card ... It’s a very disappointing result. We created a lot of chances, but unfortunately we didn’t manage to score and paid a heavy price for that.” His words highlighted the harsh reality of knockout football, where dominance does not always translate into victory, and a single lapse—like the defensive error that gifted Raphinha his chance—can prove decisive.
For Barcelona, the victory was a triumph of spirit and tactical discipline, qualities that shone through despite the adversity of playing with ten men for most of the match. Pedri’s post-match comments underscored the team’s resilience: “You have to give a lot of credit for the team’s effort after going a man down so early in the game. On other days it was harder for us, but today we hung on and defended really well.” The midfielder’s assessment was spot-on—Barcelona’s defensive resolve, marshaled by Szczesny’s brilliance, allowed them to weather the storm and capitalize on their one true moment of opportunity. While their attacking output was limited, with Raphinha’s goal representing their only shot on target after the break, the result spoke to a different kind of strength: the ability to adapt, endure, and strike when it mattered most.
As the dust settles on this gripping encounter, both teams will turn their attention to the second leg, where the tie remains finely poised. Barcelona will return to the Camp Nou with a 1-0 lead to protect, bolstered by the confidence of having prevailed in such challenging circumstances. However, they will also know that Benfica, with their attacking firepower and sense of injustice, pose a significant threat when the teams reconvene. For Szczesny, the night in Lisbon was a personal vindication, proving that his decision to step out of retirement was not just a stopgap measure but a chance to write a new chapter in his storied career. For Raphinha, it was a reminder of his capacity to deliver in the clutch, while for Barcelona as a whole, it was a victory that could serve as a defining moment in their Champions League campaign. In a competition where margins are razor-thin, this lion-hearted performance may yet prove to be the foundation for something greater.
