Barcelona’s Polish ahead #09 Robert Lewandowski (centre) is challenged by Benfica’s Portuguese defender #04 Antonio Silva (left) and Benfica’s Portuguese defender #44 Tomas Araujo throughout the UEFA Champions League Spherical of 16 second leg soccer match between FC Barcelona and SL Benfica on the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Barcelona on March 11, 2025. — AFP
BARCELONA: Barcelona secured a convincing 3-1 victory over Benfica on Tuesday, sealing a 4-1 combination win to succeed in the Champions League quarter-finals with a dominant first-half show led by Raphinha and Lamine Yamal.
Raphinha netted both aspect of a surprising Yamal strike because the Catalans dominated within the first half, constructing on their 1-0 last-16, first-leg win in Lisbon.
Nicolas Otamendi had rapidly levelled Raphinha’s opener, however the guests have been blown away on the Olympic Stadium as Barcelona progressed comfortably from the tie and produced some moments of good attacking soccer.
Hansi Flick’s aspect will face Borussia Dortmund or Lille within the quarter-finals as they goal to win the competitors for the primary time since 2015 and the period of Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Luis Suarez.
“We are candidates to win everything,” Raphinha advised Movistar, with the membership within the hunt for a possible treble.
Barcelona are unbeaten in 17 matches in 2025.
“It’s good that the players think about that (winning everything), it shows they have confidence, they believe in what they are doing, but my job is to stay calm,” mentioned Flick.
Flick had mentioned Barça would play for late membership physician Carles Minarro, who died out of the blue on Saturday forward of the staff’s match in opposition to Osasuna, which was postponed, and the gamers noticed a silence in his honour earlier than kick-off.
“What happened made us arrive at this game even more determined to win,” added Raphinha.
“We won for us, and Carles is always with us… he always has a place (here),” mentioned Flick.
5-time Champions League winners Barça took the lead after 11 minutes when Spain worldwide Yamal burst into the realm, chopped his well past Florentino, after which mishit the ball throughout to Raphinha for a easy end.
Benfica levelled inside two minutes when Otamendi escaped Ronald Araújo to go house from a nook.
Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny excelled within the first leg because the Catalans claimed a formidable win with 10 males after Pau Cubarsí’s purple card however might need achieved extra to maintain out Otamendi’s effort.
Nonetheless, Barcelona, and notably their wingers Yamal and Raphinha, have been in sensational kind and rapidly reclaimed their lead.
‘Dynamite’
Yamal netted his first purpose in seven matches, however it was well worth the wait, with the 17-year-old chopping in from the fitting and arcing a sensational shot previous Anatoliy Trubin and in on the far publish from the sting of the field.
“His goal was spectacular, it shows what Lamine is — he’s a spectacular player with tremendous quality,” mentioned Raphinha.
Raphinha grabbed his second earlier than the break to provide Barcelona a three-goal combination lead after a blistering run by Alejandro Balde.
The left-back received the ball again in his space and sliced open the Portuguese staff on the counter, carrying it to the sting of Benfica’s space earlier than teeing up Raphinha.
It was the winger’s eleventh strike of the competitors, and he leads the scoring charts, whereas he additionally has 27 throughout all competitions after netting 10 in every of his first two seasons since becoming a member of from Leeds United.
“We have dynamite up front, and we have to take advantage of it,” mentioned Barça midfielder Pedri.
Bruno Lage’s aspect have been with out injured veteran Ángel Di María, however even with him, beating Flick’s Barça on this kind would have been a troublesome ask.
Fredrik Aursnes netted for Benfica within the second half, however the purpose was disallowed for offside in opposition to Vangelis Pavlidis, who scored a hat-trick as Barça received 5-4 of their first assembly this season, within the league stage in January.
For essentially the most half, Benfica struggled to hassle Szczęsny, and Barcelona got here near scoring a fourth when Frenkie de Jong poked broad on the stretch on the finish of a razor-sharp staff transfer.
Barcelona now await their quarter-final opponent and might begin getting ready to go to Atlético Madrid in La Liga on Sunday, in an enormous conflict within the Spanish title race.
Benfica are left to deal with the Portuguese prime flight, the place they’re second behind Sporting Lisbon.
“We’re left with a feeling of frustration, we could have done better in both games,” Lage advised SportTV.
