Barcelona’s Dramatic Late Comeback Secures Victory Over Benfica
Barcelona delivered an Astonishing late comeback to claim a thrilling 5-4 victory over Benfica in Lisbon on Tuesday. Despite being 4-2 down with less than 15 minutes remaining, the Catalan giants fought back to stay within three points of Liverpool, who lead the table. Here’s a breakdown of the high-stakes encounter.
Controversial No-Call: Did the Referee Miss a Penalty for Barcelona?
The home side believed the referee should have awarded them a penalty before Barcelona’s late winner.warded a penalty before Barcelona’s late winner. Ferran Torres reportedly shoved Leandro Barreiro in the back inside the box during a crucial moment of the game. Although VAR reviewed the incident, it chose not to recommend a second look from the referee, frustrating the home team as the celebrations for what would be the winning goal commenced.
Benfica’s Early Advantage and Pavlidis’ Hat-Trick
Benfica got off to a flying start, with Vangelis Pavlidis opening the scoring just two minutes into the match. Pavlidis escaped Pau Cubarsi’s defense and powered a shot past Barcelona’s Wojciech Szczesny following a low cross from Alvaro Carreras.
Barcelona quickly responded as Robert Lewandowski converted a penalty after Tomas Araujo of Benfica fouled Alejandro Balde.
Szczesny’s Errors and Benfica’s Strong Lead
The hosts regained the lead through some luck, as Szczesny rushed out of his goal to intercept a through-ball but collided with Balde. Pavlidis pounced on the loose ball and calmly doubled his tally.
Barcelona’s goalkeeper, Wojciech Szczesny, continued to make costly errors, and after another misstep in which he fouled Kerem Akturkoglu, Pavlidis completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot.
Barcelona’s Fightback: Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Garcia Shine
Although behind, Barcelona continued to push for a comeback. Lewandowski and Raphinha missed key chances, and Benfica’s Anatoliy Trubin made crucial saves. Raphinha managed to pull one back in bizarre fashion when a clearance by Trubin deflected off his head and into the net.
However, Benfica answered quickly, with Barcelona’s Ronald Araujo inadvertently heading into his own net while attempting to cut out a cross.
Stunning Penalties and a Dramatic Winner
Lewandowski converted another penalty after Nicolas Otamendi fouled him, and substitute Eric Garcia scored a powerful header from Pedri’s cross to level the game.
Barcelona’s goalkeeper Szczesny made an important save from Angel Di Maria’s shot before Raphinha sealed the dramatic win. As Benfica appealed for a penalty in injury time, Barcelona broke quickly, and Raphinha slotted home to cap an unforgettable clash.
Conclusion: A Thrilling Finish and the Road Ahead
The game ended with Barcelona celebrating a hard-fought 5-4 victory, keeping their hopes of Champions League glory alive. The dramatic late comeback against Benfica shows the resilience and skill of Barcelona, who now look to close the gap to Liverpool in the standings.
“Stay connected with ZAFF Trends for the latest updates and in-depth insights on Barcelona’s Comeback Secures Win, Salah Sends Liverpool
