Barcelona pulled off an extraordinary and controversial late comeback to defeat Benfica 5-4 in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
Raphinha’s decisive 96th-minute goal sealed the victory for the Catalans, leaving Benfica furious after a penalty appeal at the other end was waved off moments before the Brazilian surged forward to score.
The opening exchanges highlighted Barcelona’s defensive frailties, as sloppy play allowed Vangelis Pavlidis to open the scoring. However, Robert Lewandowski calmly converted a penalty to level the match.
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Wojciech Szczesny endured a nightmare start in goal for Barcelona. A disastrous collision with Alejandro Balde gifted Pavlidis his second goal, and another error led to a penalty, which the Greek striker converted to complete his hat trick.
Barcelona clawed their way back into the game after the hour mark with an unusual goal, as Raphinha intercepted a poor clearance from Benfica’s goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin, deflecting the ball into the net from distance.
Just as Barcelona gained momentum, their defensive struggles resurfaced. Ronald Araujo’s own goal, deflecting Andreas Schjelderup’s cross, restored Benfica’s two-goal cushion.
However, a reckless challenge from Alvaro Carreras handed Barcelona a lifeline with another penalty. Lewandowski calmly slotted his second goal, narrowing the deficit.
Barcelona continued to press and found an equaliser in the 86th minute, with Eric Garcia heading home to level the score. Yet the drama was far from over.
In stoppage time, Leandro Barreiro appeared to be fouled in the box, but referee Danny Makkelie and VAR dismissed the claims. Seconds later, Raphinha surged forward to fire Barcelona ahead for the first time in the match, securing a sensational and contentious victory in Lisbon.
