Match review: Raphinha and Lamine Yamal dazzle Benfica to fire Barcelona into the quarter-finals of the Champions League

FC Barcelona beat Benfica 3-1 in the second leg to secure a place in the quarter-finals. (Image credits - FMT, License Details

FC Barcelona and Benfica locked horns at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís stadium in Spain in the second leg of the Round of 16 in the Champions League, where the hosts defeated the Portuguese giants by 3-1, winning the tie 4-1 to secure a place in the quarter-finals.

Barça’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal put up another masterclass performance to guide his team to an emphatic win against a resilient Benfica side.

Apart from Yamal, Raphinha’s individual brilliance also helped Barcelona to move past the RO16 stages of UEFA Champions League for the first time in five years.

Barcelona vs Benfica: As it happened

The Catalan giants were trying to dismantle their opponents’ defensive line right from the beginning, with Raphinha and Yamal operating in wider-than-usual positions to try and stretch and break open spaces in the Benfica defence.

Right from the kick-off, Lamine Yamal was causing problems for the visitors from the right-hand side by delivering dangerous crosses inside the six-yard box.

Robert Lewandowski was also doing his bit as well in a deeper role, helping out his teammates by dragging Benfica defenders in order to create spaces for his teammates.

However, the Eagles’ backline, led by Nicolás Otamendi and Antonio Silva, remained resilient and determined to cope with the pressure. 

Finally, at the 11th-minute mark, out of nowhere, Yamal dribbled past two Benfica defenders and floated in a beautiful in-swinging delivery to Raphinha, which the Brazilian buried comfortably to give Barcelona the lead. 

The Portuguese giants had a quickfire response to Barça’s goal as Nicolás Otamendi scored from a brilliantly delivered corner, making a tremendous disguised run, coming from behind Jules Koundé.

Just as the visitors were crawling back into the tie, the 17-year-old sensation hammered another blow on the Eagles, scoring a world-class goal from outside of the box to restore the lead for the Catalan giants and give them full control of the tie. 

Throughout the game, Alejandro Balde’s commendable work rate helped out the Barcelona midfield to create chances while also providing them with an extra man to find on the left flank.

The Spanish defender later also provided the assist to Raphinha’s second goal of the night, which put the tie to bed for the hosts. 

Raphinha was awarded man of the match for his phenomenal display once again, as the Brazilian scored his 27th goal in what has already been an extraordinary season for him.