Raphinha’s late heroics seal Barcelona’s thrilling 5-4 comeback over Benfica

Raphinha’s stoppage-time winner capped a dramatic Barcelona comeback as the Catalan giants edged Benfica 5-4 in a thrilling Champions League encounter on Tuesday.

The victory leaves Barcelona on the brink of direct qualification to the last 16, trailing Group E leaders Liverpool by three points.

Despite Vangelis Pavlidis scoring a sensational first-half hat-trick for Benfica, Barcelona fought back from a 4-2 deficit in the final 15 minutes to snatch a vital win.

Barcelona forward Raphinha described the match as “spectacular” in his post-match comments to Movistar.

“We didn’t let ourselves sink at 3-1 down; we stayed focused and managed to turn the game around,” he said.

Pavlidis’ Hat-Trick Stuns Barca
Benfica opened the scoring just two minutes in when Pavlidis capitalized on Alvaro Carreras’ low cross.

Robert Lewandowski quickly equalized with a penalty after Alejandro Balde was fouled in the box.

However, two costly errors from Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny allowed Pavlidis to score twice more.

Szczesny collided with Balde while chasing a loose ball, leaving Pavlidis to slot into an empty net. Minutes later, the Greek striker completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot after Szczesny brought down Kerem Akturkoglu.

Barcelona’s Resurgence
Trailing 3-1, Barcelona pushed forward, with Lamine Yamal and Raphinha missing chances before halftime.

Raphinha finally pulled one back in the second half when a clearance by Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin deflected off his head and into the net.

Benfica struck again when Ronald Araujo accidentally turned a cross into his own net, restoring the hosts’ two-goal lead.

But Barcelona kept pressing, and Lewandowski scored his second penalty after Nicolas Otamendi fouled Yamal.

Eric Garcia then headed home Pedri’s cross to level the match at 4-4. With Benfica still appealing for a penalty in stoppage time, Barcelona launched a quick counterattack, and Raphinha slotted in the winner to seal an incredible comeback.

Post-Match Drama

Tensions flared after the final whistle, with players from both teams clashing following the emotional ending.

Despite the heated exchanges, Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez praised his team’s resilience: “The mentality was incredible; we showed what we are made of.”

The victory moves Barcelona closer to securing their place in the knockout stages, while Benfica faces an uphill battle to advance.