Barcelona Clinch Last 16 Spot with Epic Comeback

Barcelona staged a stunning comeback to beat Benfica 5-4 in a thrilling Champions League clash, securing their place in the last 16 with 18 points. The match saw Barcelona overcome two separate two-goal deficits and capitalize on two costly errors by Wojciech Szczesny. Benfica started strong, with Greek striker Vangelis Pavlidis netting a hat-trick within 30 minutes.

Szczesny, in his first Champions League appearance for Barcelona since coming out of retirement, made two critical mistakes. First, he collided with teammate Alejandro Balde leaving Pavlidis to score in an open net. Minutes later, Szczesny brought down Kerem Aktürkoglu allowing Pavlidis to convert from the spot. Robert Lewandowski had earlier equalized from the penalty spot after Alejandro Balde was fouled but Barcelona trailed 3-1 at halftime.

The drama continued in the second half. Raphinha scored in bizarre fashion when Benfica keeper Anatoliy Trubin’s clearance deflected off his head and into the net. However, Ronald Araujo’s own goal restored Benfica’s two-goal lead at 4-2. Barcelona fought back again. Lewandowski converted his second penalty to make it 4-3, and Eric Garcia’s header leveled the score late in the game.

In added time, Szczesny redeemed himself by denying Angel Di Maria while Benfica were controversially denied a penalty. Raphinha then broke away in the 96th minute to slot home the winner, silencing the home crowd. Despite their strong start, Benfica was left ruing missed chances and defensive lapses. Barcelona’s resilience and clinical finishing ensured their dramatic victory and progression to the knockout stage.