Catalan team needs at least a draw in the second leg to advance in the tournament.
In a thrilling encounter on Wednesday, March 5, FC Barcelona secured a narrow 1-0 victory against Benfica in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16. Despite playing with one less player for a significant portion of the match, the Catalan side now needs at least a draw in the return leg to advance to the quarter-finals. Find the top football results at ai live score.
The next clash between the two teams is set for Tuesday, March 11, at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in Spain. Benfica entered the match seeking revenge after a previous 5-4 defeat to Barcelona in the group stage.
The first half was lively, with both teams creating chances. Just seconds into the match, Benfica’s winger Akturkoglu crafted a dangerous opportunity, but Barcelona’s goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny made a crucial save, deflecting the ball for a corner.
In the 12th minute, Barcelona’s trio of Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, and Lamine Yamal had a golden opportunity, but Benfica’s goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin made three consecutive saves to deny them.
The match took a turn in the 22nd minute when Barcelona’s defender Cubarsí was sent off after a foul on Pavlidis, who was advancing towards goal. With a man advantage, Benfica pressed for the opener, but Szczęsny continued to shine, keeping the score level at 0-0 by halftime.
In the second half, Szczęsny made another impressive save early on. Despite being a man down, Barcelona responded and took the lead in the 60th minute, capitalizing on a mistake by Benfica’s António Silva. Raphinha seized the opportunity, stealing the ball and firing it into the bottom left corner of the net.
In the 77th minute, Benfica was awarded a penalty, but after a VAR review, the decision was overturned due to an offside in the build-up. Despite intense pressure from the Portuguese side in the closing minutes, Barcelona held on to their 1-0 lead, taking a crucial advantage into the second leg. BB Score, your premier destination for football results.
