Benfica 4-5 Barcelona: Raphinha's last-gasp strike seals Barca's epic Champions League comeback over hosts

Barcelona secured their place in the Champions League last 16 with a thrilling 5-4 victory at Benfica's Estadio da Luz, as Raphinha's stoppage-time winner capped an extraordinary comeback after Vangelis Pavlidis's first-half hat-trick for the hosts.

Despite their recent LaLiga struggles following them to Portugal, Barcelona showed remarkable resilience to overcome both defensive errors and a two-goal deficit. The victory places them second with 18 points, while Benfica remains in the playoff spots at 18th with 10 points.

"We knew it was going to be a difficult game. I know how difficult it is to play here against Benfica. They have players of the highest level," said Raphinha, the former Sporting star. "We didn't let ourselves get carried away when we were 3-1 down. It was a spectacular match for the spectators. Anyone could have won."

The goal-fest began with Pavlidis's second-minute opener, followed by Robert Lewandowski's penalty equalizer. Pavlidis then capitalized on goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny's error before completing his hat-trick from the spot after Szczesny fouled Kerem Akturkoglu.

The second half brought more drama as Raphinha benefited from Anatoliy Trubin's goalkeeping mistake, though Ronald Araujo's own goal seemed to dash Barcelona's hopes. However, Lewandowski's second penalty and Eric Garcia's late header set the stage for Raphinha's decisive counter-attack finish.

"It was an incredible victory. The team didn't lose their heads throughout the game," Garcia reflected. "When you start the game losing, it messes your plans. It's important to qualify for the next round, we came with this objective in mind."

Barcelona will host Atalanta in their final first-phase match, while Benfica travels to Juventus seeking redemption.

SportsLigue