Raphinha Fires 10-man Barcelona To Champions League Win Over Benfica

Barcelona battled to a tense 1-0 victory over Benfica in their Champions League last-16 first-leg clash on Wednesday, despite playing more than 70 minutes with 10 men. Brazilian forward Raphinha struck in the second half to give the Spanish giants a slender advantage ahead of the return leg at the Camp Nou next week.

The visitors were dealt a major setback in the 22nd minute when 18-year-old defender Pau Cubarsi was sent off for bringing down Benfica's Vangelis Pavlidis, leaving Barcelona to fight with a man down for the remainder of the match. Despite Benfica's relentless attacks, goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny produced a series of crucial saves to keep the Portuguese side at bay.

Barcelona's breakthrough came in the 61st minute when Raphinha capitalised on a defensive lapse, pouncing on a loose ball and firing a low, deflected shot past Anatoliy Trubin. The goal was his ninth in as many Champions League appearances, reinforcing his importance to the team's attacking efforts.

Benfica, eager to capitalise on their numerical advantage, pressed forward with intensity, but Szczesny stood firm, making key interventions to deny Kerem Akturkoglu, Pavlidis, and Andrea Belotti. The Polish shot-stopper, who had struggled in the group stage against Benfica, redeemed himself with a commanding display between the posts.

Benfica thought they had won a late penalty when Szczesny brought down Belotti, but the decision was overturned due to an offside in the build-up, allowing Barcelona to hold onto their slender lead.