Szczesny Saves The Day As Barcelona Edges Benfica in Champions League Opener

LISBON, Portugal – In a gripping first leg of the UEFA Champions League last-16 tie on March 5, Barcelona secured a 1-0 win over Benfica, despite playing the last 70 minutes with ten men. Raphinha‘s decisive goal came in the 61st minute, capitalizing on a defensive error, while goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny delivered a heroic performance to keep Barcelona ahead.

The match took a pivotal turn early when Barcelona’s teenage defender Pau Cubarsí received a straight red card for a foul on Benfica’s Vangelis Pavlidis in the 22nd minute, leaving the visitors a man down. Despite this setback, Szczesny, who came out of retirement earlier this season following an injury to Barcelona’s first-choice goalkeeper, was instrumental in securing the victory.

Szczesny made several remarkable saves throughout the match, totaling eight, including five in the second half when Benfica dominated possession with over 60%. The veteran keeper’s notable saves included a stunning reflex stop from close range shortly after the break and a vital save against a powerful strike from Frederic Aursnes in added time.

<p"It's a team effort, but Szczesny saved us many times today; he is outstanding," Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong told Spanish TV station Movistar Plus after the match. “We had to defend really well after going a man down, and today we managed to hold on to our lead.”

The breakthrough for Barcelona came when Raphinha intercepted a poor pass inside the Benfica box and fired a low strike that deflected off a defender, sneaking inside the left post. The goal marked a critical moment for Barcelona, allowing them to take a vital lead heading into the second leg.

Benfica, who had recently advanced to the last-16 stage after a 4-3 aggregate win over Monaco in the playoff, was left to rue missed opportunities. Their coach, Bruno Lage, reflected on the match, stating, “We created a lot of chances, but unfortunately we didn’t manage to score and paid a heavy price for that.”

Despite their struggles, Benfica maintained a positive outlook heading into the second leg. Aursnes expressed confidence, saying, “It’s a bad result, but we have a strong squad and can turn it around in the next game.”

The match took place in front of 62,437 fans at the historic Estádio da Luz, where Benfica sought to use home advantage. However, they will need to rethink their strategy heading into the return leg at Barcelona’s Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.

The second leg is poised to be pivotal for both teams, as Barcelona aims to advance into the quarterfinals and maintain their historic stature in European football.