An intense Champions League round of 16 match between Barcelona and Benfica took place, both of whom were highly motivated to secure a significant victory. The fight was a test of endurance and tactics, as Benfica was extremely aggressive, while Barca was more focused on the game. The game turned into drama when Barca was left with only ten players following Pau Cubarsí’s red card. They had to hang on as defended. Benfica threw many attacking moves at Barca’s doorstep but Raphinha broke through with a marvelous strike and thus scored the only one goal of the game. The final score – 1-0 was the result of a tense and tight match- as Barca won.
Benfica’s Attacking Pressure Vs Barca’s Defensive Solidity
Benfica dominated the ball and created a lot of opportunities to score points, and always interfered with the defense of Barca. Kerem Aktürkoglu was especially involved, and with him, the goalie had to make some important saves. When Barca was down to ten players, it was easy and Benfica reactivated their pressure successfully by launching numerous attacks. However, the Barca backline, especially Iñigo Martínez and Ronald Araújo, were very good and were the ones that were holding Benfica up. While being pressured, Barca found the only chance when Raphinha precisely kicked the ball straight into the opponent’s network, and that became the winning goal in the match.
Also Read: Champions League: PSG Dominates Possession, But Liverpool’s Counterattack Clinches Victory
Expected Or Unexpected Outcome?
The result came as a bit of a shock since Benfica had been in control for the majority of the time and Barca had to play with just ten players for a big part of the game. Benfica dominated most of the game, playing strong and creating chances. Nevertheless, Barca’s ability to remain resilient on defense and exploit a rare attacking opportunity flipped the match in their direction. Contrary to the popular belief that Benfica would benefit from the extra man, Barca showed their persistence and a fine clinical finish, and, as a result, they earned an unexpected but tough win in Lisbon.
