It was a crazy match. A pitched battle full of absurdities, penalties, own goals of total schizophrenia. A victory for Barça that is impossible to believe, to imagine, much less to script because the story moved between crime novels, comedy and history. In the end, Barça overcame the hell of Da Luz to qualify, now, mathematically for the round of 16 of the Champions League with a double from Lewandowski from a penalty, another two goals from Raphinha and another from a savior Eric Garcia. It will be difficult to forget.
He achieved it from the start with the usual ten and with the Polish Szczesny making his debut between the sticks. His performance began to be disastrous. Never has a debut in goal seemed to be so unfortunate. The Polish goalkeeper made two unforgivable errors that set up Pavlidis. In the first nonsense of the night Szczesny collided with Balde in a crazy and psychedelic action. In the second he caused a penalty with a slight but avoidable contact on Aktürkoğlua. More than one will have thought during and after his performance if it was worth leaving Iñaki Peña, in his best moment of the season, sitting on the bench. Then Araújo arrived at the house of stupidity with an own goal.
Let’s start at the beginning. And The game started with a Barcelona that was irregular in the League but that feels superior and energetic in Europe. With an irreducible Bucket breaking the pressure of the Portuguese. With the pause of Pedri and Casadó that allowed Lamine Yamal to begin to threaten the goal. Unfortunately for Barça, coach Bruno Leges had well prepared the antidote to stop Barcelona’s young and no longer secret weapon. That weapon is called Álvaro Carreras, who dedicated himself to making all his magic impossible.
It was precisely Álvaro who, in one of the Lisbon team’s few counterattacks, centered the ball that Pavlidis caught to score the first goal. The only one of the four that Benfica scored that came under normal football parameters. A slow Cubarsí failed to anticipate the play. Neither did a clueless Koundé, who seemed to work with Portuguese time. As happened in the final against Real Madrid, where the Barça club conceded in the 4th minute, Barcelona started behind on the scoreboard.
But this time there was no comeback. Although for a moment Barça silenced the noisy Da Luz. Barça and the referees. Because in Europe the VAR is consulted. And obvious stomping in the area is still missing in the mortal world. He saw it clearly xxx in the engine room after reviewing a very clear stomp by Araújo on Balde. This time Lewandowski did not fail, as he recovered his tachycardic way of taking penalties with jumps included, generating a suspense not suitable for nervousness. Not even for Trubin, which in the end was what was important.
The Pole’s goal strengthened and encouraged Flick’s team. Gavi, who had barely appeared until then, took out his claw. After a rebound and an acrobatic combination with a shot included, he threatened Trubin who grabbed the ball tightly. Then came another header from Araújo after a corner from Raphinha. There was no one to take the ball away from Barça. Until Sczcesny decided to change things with his two catastrophic mistakes. Bucket did not forgive him, as he became very angry when he found himself on the ground. Nor did anyone from the team approach him when he caused the penalty on Aktürkoğlu inside the area. On the bench, stunned but cold, without showing an ounce of feelings, Iñaki Peña watched everything.
Although Barça regained its rhythm with Pedri creating, improvising and encouraging the team, the first half ended with the feeling that Barcelona was superior with its game. But they lacked aim, the other problem of this Barça team that is so common in the League. A deranged Lamine failed to impale a Raphinha cross at the far post. Álvaro had closed him down. Otamendi, once again, closed down a furious Lewandowski who attacked and shot down the left wing. To close the spectacle of the Blaugrana’s high pressures, Raphinha appeared sending a great pass from Lewandowski to the clouds and the rain. Barcelona, without absurd gifts from the goalkeeper and honing in a little more, would have reached the break at least a little calmer.
After the break, in the house of stupidity that Da Luz became, came the most ridiculous goal of Raphinha’s career, practically assisted by goalkeeper Trubin. The joy lasted three minutes. Ready to commit absurdities, Benfica’s fourth arrived. Ronald Araújo scored it himself.
Flick changed the drawing. Barça began to defend with three, rushing Benfica. Stopping the storm of goals and rain. Lewandowski put Barça in the game with 15 minutes remaining by converting a penalty caused by Lamine Yamal. It was 4-3. They didn’t celebrate it. But they did go completely crazy when Eric Garcia played the fourth. It was after a rehearsed play by Barça coming off a corner, with a precise cross from Pedri that the youth center back headed into the back of the net.
The mission was completed with a lethal counterattack by Barça after a brilliant pass from Ferran Torres that Raphinha finished, now, wonderfully to sign an incredible comeback. To close a crazy game, it turns out that Sczcesny closed his performance with a save of merit before Di María. When the referee blew the final whistle, Flick’s players collapsed on the green. And they hugged their goalkeeper.
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