Underlining their status as a genuine Champions League contender, Barcelona officially booked their quarter-final ticket as they secured a 3-1 victory against Benfica in Catalonia.
Opening Tuesday’s showdown holding a slender 1-0 advantage following their winner in Lisbon last week, Hansi Flick’s men put in another eye-catching European performance here.
Watching the red-hot Raphinha open the scoring after just 11 minutes, it appeared that Barca were going to breeze their way to a last-eight spot without having to break much of a sweat.
However, while former Manchester City defender Nicolas Otamendi might have briefly silenced the home support after powering home just seconds after Raphinha’s opener, Barca didn’t take long to reestablish their dominance.
Teenage sensation Lamine Yamal produced a remarkable whipped effort just before the half hour mark as Barcelona’s free-scoring attack once again ran rampant home soil.
With Raphinha putting the cherry on top of the cake moments before the half-time break as the Brazilian ace extended on his record-breaking European romp, Barca could have won by an even bigger margin but Frenkie de Jong missed a golden chance to add a fourth late on.
Already booking their their quarter-final spot, the Spanish giants will now face a last-eight showdown against either Lille or last season’s finalists Borussia Dortmund.
On an evening when Barcelona extended on their Champions League adventure, we have taken a look at the main talking points from Catalonia.
Barca are a European contender
While some around Catalonia might have been shocked last summer following Flick’s arrival, Barcelona have embarked on a sensational rise under the former Bayern Munich boss.
Currently leading the chase at the top of the La Liga table, Tuesday’s hosts have continued to receive a string of plaudits from across the continent and should be considered as a genuine European contender this season.
Mustering 19 points from their eight group stage appearances this year and breezing their way to a knockout stage ticket without having to get out of third gear, Barca are in the midst of a real purple patch.
With some around Catalonia now dreaming of the chance to complete an iconic double-winning campaign this season, Flick’s men find the mood in their camp at a red-hot high.
Crowned Super Cup champions back on January 12th following a famous 5-2 win against arch-rivals Real Madrid, Barca have also not suffered a single defeat across any competition since opening the New Year.
Raphinha steals all the headlines again
While Polish record-breaker Robert Lewandowski might be storming his way to this season’s La Liga Golden Boot, it is another one of Barca’s attacking superstars who has stolen plenty of the headlines around Catalonia.
Although there might have been plenty of speculation last summer that Raphinha could be set for an almost immediate exit, the 28-year-old has enjoyed a remarkable campaign across all fronts.
Bagging the winner in Lisbon last week as Barcelona returned to Spain with a slender 1-0 advantage, the Brazilian international once again proved to be Flick’s saviour on Tuesday evening.
Notching a first-half brace here and putting in another Man of the Match performance in Catalonia, some have even billed Raphinha as a genuine Ballon d’Or contender.
In fact, remarkably notching 11 goals in his 10 Champions League appearances this season and sat at the top of the European goalscoring charts, Raphinha is also averaging a strike every 76 minutes.
Positives in defeat for Benfica
While Benfica might have watched their Champions League adventure come to an end on Tuesday evening as they failed to produce what would have been a famous comeback in Catalonia, Bruno Lage’s men should take plenty of positives away from their knockout exploits.
Asking Barcelona a string of questions in Lisbon last week and unfortunate to have not claimed a first-leg advantage, the former Wolves boss can’t have too many complaints about the way his side performed over the past week.
Despite losing each of their three European showdowns against Barca this season, Benfica will now have their full focus on completing a domestic sweep over the next couple of months.
Sat within touching distance of climbing to the top of the Primeira Liga standings, Tuesday’s guests have enjoyed a real domestic romp this season and are confident of recapturing their crown in 2025.
Despite eventually being overpowered by the Spanish high-flyers over both legs, Benfica deservedly gained plenty of respect and should be excited by their European exploits this season.
Match Report
Barcelona: Szczesny, Kounde, Araujo, Martinez, Balde, de Jong, Pedri, Olmo, Yamal, Raphinha, Lewandowski
Subs: Javi, Torres, Lopez, Casado, Garcia
Benfica: Trubin, Araujo, Silva, Otamendi, Dahl, Kokcu, Luis, Aursnes, Akturkoglu, Pavlidis, Schjelderup
Subs: Belotti, Sanches, Rego, Amdouni, Barreiro
Goals: Barcelona: Raphinha (11’, 42’), Yamal (27’) – Benfica: Otamendi (13’)
Yellow Cards: Silva
Red Cards: N/A
Referee: François Letexier
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