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Raphinha’s Strike and Szczesny’s Heroics Seal Gritty Barcelona Win Over Benfica
What a night in Lisbon! Barcelona pulled off a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Benfica in the Champions League, despite playing most of the match with 10 men. The hero of the night? A stunning strike from Raphinha and an absolute masterclass in goalkeeping from Wojciech Szczesny.
The game took a dramatic turn early on when young defender Pau Cubarsí saw red in the 22nd minute for a last-man foul on Vangelis Pavlidis. It was a nightmare moment for the teenager, leaving Barcelona to battle with a numerical disadvantage for nearly 70 minutes. But instead of crumbling under pressure, Barça stood tall, showing incredible resilience.
Benfica dominated possession and created plenty of chances, but Szczesny was an impenetrable wall between the posts. The veteran goalkeeper, who came out of retirement to replace the injured Marc-André ter Stegen, pulled off a series of jaw-dropping saves. From the very first minute, he denied Benfica’s attackers with quick reflexes and sharp positioning, making a total of eight saves throughout the game.
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Then came the decisive moment in the 61st minute. Benfica’s defense made a costly error, and Raphinha pounced on a misplaced pass inside the box. With a powerful low strike, he found the back of the net, with a slight deflection helping the ball sneak past the keeper. It was Barcelona’s only shot on target in the second half, but it was all they needed.
The final minutes were pure tension. Benfica threw everything forward, desperate for an equalizer, but Szczesny continued his heroics. A stunning reaction save denied Fredrik Aursnes, and in stoppage time, he kept out a rocket from Renato Sanches to secure the victory.
After the match, Barcelona’s coach Hansi Flick was full of praise for his team’s fighting spirit. “Going down to 10 men so early was tough, but we defended as a unit. Szczesny was incredible, but the whole team showed heart,” he said.
On the other side, Benfica’s Fredrik Aursnes expressed his frustration, saying, “We had so many chances, especially after the red card, but we couldn’t make them count. It’s a disappointing result.”
With this gritty win, Barcelona takes a crucial advantage into the second leg. Benfica will have to produce something special at the Camp Nou to turn the tie around. But one thing is clear—if Szczesny keeps up this form, breaking through Barça’s defense won’t be easy.
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