FC Barcelona qualified for the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League by defeating Benfica 3-1 in the second leg of the round of 16. With an aggregate score of 4-1 in their favor, the Blaugranas secured a place in the next stage of the European competition.
The match took place at the Olympic Stadium of Montjuic, and from the start, Barcelona showed their dominance, creating several goal-scoring opportunities. Raphinha opened the scoring in the 11th minute, after a brilliant play by Lamine Yamal that allowed him to push the ball into the back of the net.
In the first half, Raphinha completed a brace with an effective counterattack that culminated in a cross shot impossible for the rival goalkeeper to stop. However, the joy of Barcelona was momentarily interrupted when Nicolás Otamendi equalized the match with a powerful header from a corner kick.
But shortly after, Yamal reappeared on the scene with a magnificent goal after a brilliant individual action that restored the advantage to the Catalans. Although it was initially ruled offside, the referee validated the goal after reviewing the play in VAR.
With this victory, Barcelona seeks to redeem itself from its elimination in the quarter-finals of the previous edition and return to a semi-final, something they haven't achieved since the 2018-2019 season. The performances of Raphinha and Yamal were crucial in sealing the passage to the next phase, showing a standout performance in the match against Benfica.
