Last Monday night, over 63,000 spectators at Benfica’s Estádio do Sport Lisboa experienced an exhilarating rollercoaster ride. What unfolded in the Champions League clash between Benfica and Barcelona can only be described as a rollercoaster of emotions!
The scoreline itself was unbelievable – Barcelona 5:4 Benfica. The match saw Barcelona come from behind, Benfica racing to a 3-1 lead before halftime thanks to Greek striker Vangelis Pavlidis' hat trick, and then a dramatic comeback from Barcelona sealed by a last-minute goal. Of the nine goals in the match, three were penalties, with multiple shocking errors from both goalkeepers and even an own goal. The drama wasn’t complete without players arguing with the referee, leading to a red card. What more could one expect from a single match?
Ultimately, Barcelona secured a thrilling victory to book their spot in the Champions League Round of 16 with one match to spare. Flick’s team now sits second in the group table with 18 points from seven matches, while the Portuguese club is in 18th place with 10 points from the same number of games.
In Lisbon, the match got off to a thrilling start as Pavlidis sent the home fans into jubilation in just the second minute. Tomas Araujo controlled the ball and passed it to Álvaro Careras, whose cross was finished beautifully by the Greek striker, giving Benfica a 1-0 lead.
However, Barcelona didn’t take long to respond. Alejandro Balde was fouled inside the box, earning the Catalan club a penalty. In the 13th minute, Robert Lewandowski converted it to level the score at 1-1. Barcelona came close to scoring twice more, but Gavi and Lewandowski failed to capitalize on their chances.
In the 22nd minute, Barcelona’s goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny, making his debut in the Champions League, made a childlike error. He came out of the box to clear the ball but instead struck teammate Balde, leaving both on the ground. Pavlidis seized the opportunity and scored his second goal, putting Benfica ahead 2-1.
Six minutes later, Szczęsny made another mistake, fouling Akhturkoglu inside the box. Pavlidis completed his hat trick from the resulting penalty, extending Benfica’s lead to 3-1. It was a fairytale performance from the Greek striker, making it the third-fastest hat trick in Champions League history. Only Lewandowski’s 23-minute hat trick in 2022 against Salzburg and Marco Simone’s 24-minute hat trick against Rosenborg in 1996 were faster.
Trailing 3-1, Barcelona went into halftime with a mountain to climb. After the break, the rain intensified, and so did the drama. In the 64th minute, Benfica’s goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin made a shocking error. His goal kick struck Raphinha’s head just outside the box, and the ball ended up in Benfica’s net – an unbelievable goal!
Four minutes later, Barcelona’s defender Ronald Araújo added to the chaos by scoring an own goal while attempting to clear the ball, giving Benfica a two-goal lead (4-2). It seemed like Barcelona’s comeback hopes were dashed.
However, Benfica’s errors opened the door for Barcelona. In the 78th minute, Lamine Yamal was fouled inside the box, earning Barcelona a penalty. Lewandowski calmly converted it to make the score 4-3. With just four minutes of regulation time remaining, Pedri delivered a brilliant cross, and Eric García’s header made it 4-4.
The drama wasn’t over yet. In added time, Barcelona launched a counterattack after Leandro Barreiro fell in their box, appealing for a penalty that the referee denied. From that counterattack, Ferran Torres set up Raphinha, who sped into the box, beat a defender, and fired a powerful shot into the net. The Brazilian’s goal sealed the 5-4 victory, and the referee blew the final whistle moments later.
The match ended with more drama. Arthur Cabral, a Benfica player on the bench, received a red card for protesting the penalty decision. Barcelona’s Fermín López also saw a yellow card for arguing with opponents. However, López likely won’t remember the card – his team’s thrilling victory overshadowed everything else.