LISBON — Raphinha was at the center of a heated exchange as he headed to the dressing room, exchanging insults (as he himself admitted) with several Benfica players after a confrontation with a group of supporters of the Portuguese team. It was a bizarre end to a chaotic evening in which he emerged as the unexpected star.
Without a captain’s armband, Raphinha brought FC Barcelona back to life with undoubtedly the most surprising and lucky goal of his career. The ball, kicked by home goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin, ricocheted off his head and into the back of the net, giving Barcelona a 3-2 lead — an advantage that lasted only moments before the goal Ronald Araújo’s own goal seems to doom the team.
However, the Brazilian is not one to give up. Instead, he channeled his frustration into motivation, urging his teammates to push forward until Eric García’s miraculous header equalized at 4-4. Raphinha then completed the turnaround with a monumental goal at 4-5 in added time, served by Ferran Torres. This decisive victory propels FC Barcelona into the knockout stages of the competition, marking a new record in their prestigious history.
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Slot Prioritizes Progress in the Champions League to the Detriment of First Place
In 2017, Barcelona made history as the first team to overturn a 4-0 deficit in a UEFA Champions League knockout match, winning 6-1 against Paris Saint-Germain. This time around, they became the first team to win a match after being down by two goals as late as the 75th minute. Once again, history was written in Blaugrana colors.
“I thought we had to give it our all; we couldn’t let the night end like that,” Pau Cubarsí told reporters when asked about his feelings after conceding the 4-2 goal that seemed to seal the fate from Barcelona.
