Barcelona staged a stunning but controversial late comeback on Tuesday night, beating Benfica 5-4 in a remarkable Champions League clash.
Vangelis Pavlidis scored a quick hat-trick in the first half hour as Barcelona’s defense – especially goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny – imploded in a hectic first half and Robert Lewandowski’s penalty briefly equalized for the visitors.
Raphinha reduced the deficit with an unlikely header after the break before Ronald Araujo’s own goal put Benfica back in the driver’s seat four minutes later, but another Lewandowski penalty and a late header from Eric Garcia brought Barcelona level.
Hansi Flick’s spirited visitors managed to secure all three points in the 96th minute when Raphinha scored on the counterattack after Benfica felt they should have been awarded a penalty for pushing past Leandro Barreiro in the build-up.
How the game developed
Barcelona were looking for a sixth successive European Cup win in Lisbon but got off to a nightmarish start and fell behind within two minutes. Alvaro Carreras was the architect as a cross-field move caught the visitors off guard and Pavlidis produced a confident close-range finish that matched the left-back’s tempting shot.
A few minutes later, Fredrik Aursnes was inches away from doubling Benfica’s lead when Barcelona’s defense got off to a sleepy start, but the home side shot themselves in the foot shortly afterwards.
Tomas Araujo’s rash foul on Alejandro Balde earned the Catalan giants a penalty after the video referee intervened, and Lewandowski’s ice-cold penalty leveled them in a breathless start at the Estadio da Luz.
Barcelona regained their momentum after equalizing, but disastrous defense allowed Benfica to regain the lead. A long pass behind the visitors’ defense resulted in Szczesny needlessly sprinting off his line and catching Balde, while Pavlidis picked up the loose ball and rolled it into the empty net.
Szczesny’s night got even worse just before the hour mark when an ill-timed dive from the Poland international gave Benfica their second penalty of the game and Pavlidis slotted past Barcelona’s villain to secure a remarkable 30-minute hat-trick.
Barcelona’s third goalkeeper was the catalyst for Benfica’s first-half success, but it was Trubin in the other net who offered the Catalans a route back into the game just after the hour mark. The Ukrainian’s pinged pass bizarrely deflected off Raphinha’s head and into his net, adding another fumble to the result.
However, Barcelona were not to be outdone when it came to slip-ups as Benfica quickly restored their cushion. A fairly tame cross off the post was sent over Szczesny by his own centre-back Araujo as Flick watched desperately from the sidelines.
But ten minutes after Araujo’s own goal, the German looked far happier as Barcelona reduced Benfica’s lead again. Another penalty was awarded to the visitors after Carreras cleared the penalty area and Lewandowski unceremoniously handed him the second penalty of the night.
Garcia was Barcelona’s unlikely savior in the closing stages as he equalized with a well-placed header, but the Catalans weren’t done there.
Raphinha’s masterful stoppage-time finish completed an extraordinary turnaround for Barcelona as the Brazilian broke free on the counterattack and wrong-footed Trubin. Benfica, however, were left fuming as they were not awarded a penalty for a push against Barreiro at the other end moments before the late winner.
Check out Benfica 4-5 Barcelona player ratings here.
Barcelona’s defense may have put in a tragic performance against Benfica, but the same cannot be said of their offense. Although they sometimes lacked their usual skill and ingenuity, sheer determination prevailed as Raphinha saved his defenders’ behinds.
The Brazilian won the game late for La Blaugrana with a typically thrilling performance, maintaining his composure in the dying embers to spare his team blushes. The winger has been simply sensational this season and has once again proven why he is one of the most dangerous strikers in Europe.
It is difficult to read too much into such a bizarre and outrageous affair as Benfica suffer hard not to pick up at least a point for their performance, but Barcelona’s character certainly cannot be questioned as they fought tooth and nail for all three fought for points.
Benfica only had 27% possession in the first half but were 3-1 up at half-time. They didn’t have to do much to gain their advantage, especially after Szczesny’s disastrous performance, as their intense pressing and direct approach were too much for Barcelona’s backline.
The problem was the La Liga team’s high line, which was often caught out by quick changes of play and looking for balls in the background. Flick’s aggressive defensive strategy proved to be Barcelona’s undoing – and not for the first time this season.
Even the quicker members of their defense were unable to track the marauding runs of the agile wingers and forward-thinking full-backs, and Barcelona looked vulnerable every time the home team threw bodies forward.
While a late winner saved them, they conceded an xG of 3.28 and six big chances as Benfica’s forward line kept tearing them apart.
There were raised eyebrows when Hansi Flick chose Szczesny over Inaki Pena in the Barcelona goal. The 34-year-old was making only his fourth appearance for the club after being sent off in the Supercopa de Espana final win over Real Madrid. Flick’s decision was not an inspired one.
The veteran experienced a heated and confidence-sapping first half in Lisbon as he single-handedly gave Benfica a two-goal lead before half-time. During a headlong attack outside his line, he collided with his own defender, giving Pavlidis his second goal of the game. A similarly misguided decision to leave his goal resulted in a home penalty.
Although Szczesny improved after the break and even made some good saves, he was never able to impress and was lucky not to end up on the losing side after a disjointed and rusty performance.