Lisbon, Portugal (March 5, 2025) – Barcelona secured a 1-0 victory in their UEFA Champions League last-16 first-leg clash at Benfica, despite playing most of the match with 10 men. Raphinha’s 61st-minute strike gave the Catalan side a slim advantage ahead of the second leg next Tuesday.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The match took a turn in the 22nd minute when Barcelona’s teenage defender, Pau Cubarsi, was sent off for a foul on Benfica’s Vangelis Pavlidis. Despite the setback, Barcelona’s goalkeeper, Wojciech Szczesny, was instrumental, making key saves to keep Benfica at bay.
Benfica’s goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin also kept his side in the game with a remarkable triple save, but it was Raphinha’s deflected effort that broke the deadlock. The win came after tense moments, with Barcelona holding firm under pressure in the final stages.
Barcelona, who haven’t won the Champions League since 2015, now head into the second leg with a crucial away goal.
