Today was the start of another massive wave of fixtures for Barca.
First up was their opening leg date with Benfica in the UCL round of sixteen. This match was away in Portugal, and if you remember anything about these two teams’ last meeting in Portgual, you’d know that we were potentially on the verge of more fireworks.
However, we don’t want that, we simply want a smooth first leg victory to make the second leg as comfortable as possible.
So let’s see how Barca fared in this crucial fixture.
First half
The first half began with some chaos.
Initially, Benfica piled on chances and even more danger, threatening to score early and continue the affair these two sides had earlier in the competition. However, early saves from Szczesny kept the game at 0-0..
More on Szczesny later, who had a fantastic game.
After this sequence, the action calmed down quit a bit. Barca had regained control and they were carefully assessing Benfica’s back line in hopes of a breakthrough. Goals didn’t come as a result, but plenty of half chances did.
Things were looking okay, at least until a disaster arrived which changed the course of the match. Inside of 35 minutes, Pau Cubarsi got sent off, receiving a straight red after a last ditch challenge to stop a Benfica scoring chance.
It felt harsh, not because of the foul itself, but due to the obvious foul that occurred before the red card inducing challenge happened. Frenkie De Jong looked to be a victim of some over the top physical recklessness from a duel that happened mere seconds before the red card.
The ref didn’t blow for it, and VAR didn’t think there was much there either, which left Cubarsi with a red card and Barca with a pretty peculiar situation to navigate.
Throughout the rest of the first half, the story was Barca trying to defend a lot more and relying on their old man keeper Szczesny to keep them in the match. The results were positive, as Barca went into the first half still knotted at 0 with Benfica.
However, in order to find a breakthrough, Barca would need to be disciplined…and find a bit of luck.
Second half
The second half was the same as the first half, at least for the most part.
Barca defended, soaked up the pressure, and relied on Szczesny to stop shots consistently. Rinse and repeat, rinse and repeat. This kept going on until around the 60th minute, when Barca found a breakthrough by sheer luck and perseverance, as Raphinha opened the scoring with a thunderous strike outside Benfica’s box.
This goal wasn’t anything special either, at least in terms of build up. It was a mistake at the back from Benfica, which Raphinha took advantage of quite nicely.
(No video because of reasons outside of our control).
After this goal, the mission was clear: sit back, soak up the pressure, and find some route on the counter if you can. Barca succeeded in this area masterfully, with a big time nod to Szczesny and the wonderful saves he made throughout.
Barca managed to walk away with a 1-0 victory, anxiety washed away, and a great advantage heading into the second leg.
Final word
After that red card, my stomach dropped to my butt, I’m dead serious.
But kudus to the squad for proving me wrong and even finding a breakthrough goal wise. Hopefully this bodes well for the second leg at the Montjuic next week, as another win there would undoubtedly send Barca to the quarters.
Barca’s next match
Barca’s next match will be on Saturday, as they welcome Osasuna to the Montjuic.
See you all then!
I’ve been a big time Barca fan since I was 14 years old. I love the club, the history, and the tradition that the club has built over its prestigious history. Forca Barca!
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