Barcelona punished their hosts, Benfica, with a fiery 5-4 comeback in an exciting match that took place on Tuesday evening at the Estadio da Luz in the seventh round of the Champions League.
The decisive moment came in the final minute of stoppage time when Rafinha scored the winning goal, giving his team a dramatic victory that will remain in the memory of football fans.
As a result, Barcelona’s points rose to 18, securing second place in the standings, 3 points behind leaders Liverpool, while Benfica remained at 10 points in eighteenth place.
According to information received from the Catalan newspaper “Sport”, German coach Hansi Flick specifically praised his Spanish player Pedri, who played a major role in reviving the team’s hope during the match.
Flick said about Pedri: “I am lucky to coach a player like him; his unique quality brought us back into the match,” clearly acknowledging the importance of the young player in changing the course of the game.
Flick also spoke about Rafinha, saying: “With half your level, you can damage any defense in the world,” despite the Brazilian player not performing at his best throughout the match. However, in the decisive moments, he was able to showcase his superior abilities, scoring the match-winning goal that gave Barcelona the victory.
On the other hand, Flick decided to exclude the duo Gavi and Casado from the starting lineup in upcoming matches, stating that the team performs better without them in the lineup. This decision will take effect starting with the next La Liga match.
In an unexpected move, Joan Laporta, the president of Barcelona, went down to the locker room after the match, where he erupted in celebration with the players.
Laporta specifically approached Pedri to congratulate him on his exceptional performance, saying: “You alone destroyed Benfica’s fortresses and made their fans cry,” reflecting the extent of his appreciation for this player, who was the main reason for Barcelona’s historic victory.