Barcelona battled to a 1-0 Champions League victory over Benfica despite going down to 10 men early. Raphinha’s deflected strike secured the win, while Wojciech Szczesny’s heroic saves kept the hosts at bay. Pau Cubarsi’s red card put Barça under pressure, but they held on for a crucial first-leg advantage.
Barcelona secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Benfica in their Champions League last-16 clash, despite playing most of the match with 10 men. Wojciech Szczesny made crucial saves early on, keeping the hosts at bay. However, disaster struck for Barça when Pau Cubarsi was sent off in the 20th minute for a last-man challenge.
Benfica applied relentless pressure, but Szczesny stood tall, denying multiple goal attempts. The breakthrough came on the hour mark when Raphinha capitalized on a misplaced pass, surged forward, and fired home via a deflection. Late drama ensued as Szczesny fouled Andrea Belotti, but VAR ruled the striker offside, saving Barcelona from a penalty. The Polish goalkeeper then stopped in stoppage time to secure a vital away win.
