FC Barcelona remarkably managed to beat all odds and defeat a strong and resilient Benfica side, with a scoreline of 1-0 in the first leg clash of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 last night.

Raphinha turned out to be the difference maker once again for the Catalan giants, scoring an absolute worldie from outside of the box in the 61st minute to secure a one-goal advantage for his side in this tough tie.

Benfica vs FC Barcelona: As it happened

The first major highlight of the game came in the first half itself, with Pau Cubarsi’s rash tackle, which denied a clear goal-scoring chance in the 22nd minute, forcing the referee to show a straight red to the 19-year-old centre-back and putting the visitors at a massive disadvantage early on in the match. 

The Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica’s electrifying atmosphere made it even more difficult for Hansi Flick’s men to cope with the difficult situation even more.

However, despite the anomaly, Barça showed sheer class and resilience, keeping the score at bay in the first half, thanks to their rigid backline, especially Jules Koundé, who was rock solid in the first half, alongside Ronald Araujo.

The Eagles came prepared in the second half, mounting pressure on Barcelona with constant waves of attacks, but Wojciech Szczesny came “out of syllabus” for them. 

The Polish goalie, who had retired last year, managed to pull off a staggering 8 saves, facing an xG of 1.18 as per SofaScore.

Later on in the second half, a silly mistake from Benfica’s star defender, Antonio Silva, cost his side massively as Raphinha was able to grab this opportunity with both hands to score the winning goal of the game. 

The performance shown by the stars of Catalonia under pressure last night sheds a light on the shift in mentality that has taken place since Hansi Flick's arrival. 

This massive win will give a huge advantage to Barcelona heading into the second leg of the tie, which is scheduled to be played next week.

Should Barcelona prolong the "Smoking Wall’s” stay?

FC Barcelona should seriously consider a possible renewal of Wojciech Szczesny’s contract. 

The Polish international has been sensational since he joined Barça coming out of his retirement, putting in consistent performances for them in the absence of their first-choice goalkeeper, Marc-André ter Stegen.

He has made 14 appearances so far this season, keeping 7 clean sheets, while yet to lose a game since joining the Spanish club.

Barcelona look to be in safe hands when the Pole is in between the sticks. His performances have been so heroic that he even managed to bench an in-form Inaki Pena.

Barça captain and first-choice goalkeeper, ter Stegen, is expected to be out for a long time, while the possibility that the German international might not be at his best when he recovers completely after such a devastating injury is another major concern.

Therefore, giving a contract renewal offer to Szczesny seems to be a very logical decision for FC Barcelona at the moment, thinking beyond the current campaign.