4-2 down with 15 to go, Barcelona prevail

RAPHINHA SCORED a dramatic winner in stoppage time as Barcelona came from behind to beat Benfica 5-4 in a wild match on Tuesday and virtually ensure direct qualification to the Champions League last 16.

Benfica were leading 4-2 with under 15 minutes remaining but Barcelona mounted a stunning late comeback to stay three points behind leaders Liverpool.

Vangelis Pavlidis hit a first-half hat-trick for the hosts, in part thanks to two big errors by Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.

However, a Robert Lewandowski double from the penalty spot, Eric Garcia’s header and a brace for Raphinha helped Barcelona claim a stunning last-gasp triumph in Lisbon.

“We knew how hard it would be here, in front of their fans, and they know how to play really well, they have top-level players,” Raphinha told Movistar.

“We didn’t let ourselves sink at 3-1 down, we were focussed on what we needed to do to try and change the game.

“It was a spectacular game for everyone. They could have won, or us, but we managed to take it.”

Benfica opened the scoring in the second minute when Pavlidis escaped Pau Cubarsi and fired home from Alvaro Carreras’ low cross.

Barcelona responded swiftly with Lewandowski scoring from the penalty spot after Alejandro Balde was brought down by Benfica defender Tomas Araujo.

The hosts nosed back ahead through a stroke of luck, when Szczesny raced out of his goal to try and cut out a through-ball but crashed into Balde.

Greece international Pavlidis gleefully collected the loose ball and rolled his second into the empty net.

Barcelona, who lured Szczesny out of retirement to replace the injured Marc-Andre ter Stegen in October, soon fell further behind.

Pavlidis completed his half-hour hat-trick with a penalty after another Szczesny mistake, with the goalkeeper flying in to try and dispossess Kerem Akturkoglu but bringing him down.

- Barca battle back -

Lamine Yamal and Raphinha missed good chances before the break as Barcelona pushed forward.

Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin saved from Jules Kounde, who should have scored, and Lewandowski could not turn home from Pedri’s dangerous ball across the face of goal.

Raphinha pulled one back for Barcelona in bizarre fashion as a clearance by Trubin struck his head on the edge of the area and flew back into the net.

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However, Benfica soon struck again, with Ronald Araujo nudging past Szczesny into his own net as he tried to cut out a cross.

Barcelona kept pushing and Lewandowski converted another penalty after Nicolas Otamendi brought down Yamal.

The Catalan giants, who last won the Champions League in 2015, pulled level when substitute Garcia headed home from Pedri’s inviting cross.

Szczesny saved former Real Madrid star Angel Di Maria’s low shot before Raphinha’s dramatic winner.

With Benfica appealing for a penalty, Barcelona sprang a quick breakaway and the Brazilian winger slotted home to end a blockbuster battle.

Players from both sides clashed after the final whistle as tempers flared following the thrilling denouement.

“To go behind in the second minute… spoils your plans,” said Garcia.

“The team showed an incredible mentality.”

Elsewhere, Aston Villa’s Champions League qualification fate will go down to the final league phase match after they lost 1-0 at Monaco.

Unai Emery’s side could have put one foot in the last 16 had they emerged from the Principality with victory, but they succumbed to Wilfried Singo’s early goal and were unable to find a way back.

The defeat, just the second from seven matches in an impressive debut season, means they will more than likely have to win the ‘Battle of Britain’ against Celtic next week to have any chance of finishing in the top eight and earning direct qualification to the last 16.

They had chances to at least draw against the Ligue 1 side, but Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers could not find the net in front of the watching Prince of Wales.

Monaco had beaten Barcelona at the Stade Louis II earlier in the league phase so this was not an easy assignment for the Premier League club.

And they were behind in the eighth minute as they conceded from a set-piece.

Thilo Kehrer met Lamine Camara’s inviting corner with a powerful header which Emiliano Martinez could only parry, with Singo able to head the rebound into an empty net.

It should have been 2-0 in the 15th minute but Martinez came to the rescue with a stretching save to deny Maghnes Akliouche’s drive after Villa carelessly gave the ball away.

Villa began to improve and Rogers lifted a first-time effort from the edge of the area over the crossbar before Lucas Digne’s curled free-kick was saved by Monaco goalkeeper Radoslaw Majecki.

The visitors had control of the game and should have been level in the 37th minute.

Emiliano Buendia’s through ball ended up with Leon Bailey, but the Jamaican could not put his first-time effort far enough in the corner and Majecki clawed it away.

Majecki made an even better save to keep his side in front in first-half stoppage time as Buendia was again the creator, slipping Watkins through on goal, but the England international’s powerful shot was turned around the post by the home goalkeeper.

It was then Monaco who should have netted a second before the break as Akliouche blazed over after being played in on the right.

The second half was an open affair, with Rogers whistling a snap-shot just wide of the post while Akliouche had a goal ruled out for offside.

Matty Cash fizzed a ball across goal when he could have shot before Tyrone Mings made a brave block to deny Aleksandr Golovin at the other end.

Villa were unable to fashion any other clear chances and went down to defeat, but they are already assured of a play-off place.

UEFA Champions League results on Tuesday:

Atalanta (ITA) 5 (Retegui 12, Pasalic 58, De Ketelaere 63, Lookman 90, Brescianini 90+5) Sturm Graz (AUT) 0

Monaco (FRA) 1 (Singo 8) Aston Villa (ENG) 0

Slovan Bratislava (SVK) 1 (Metsoko 85) Stuttgart (GER) 3 (Leweling 11, 36, Rieder 87)

Club Brugge (BEL) 0 Juventus (ITA) 0

Atletico Madrid (ESP) 2 (Alvarez 52, 90) Bayer Leverkusen (GER) 1 (Hincapie 45+1)

Benfica (POR) 4 (Pavlidis 2, 22, 30-pen, Araujo 68-og) Barcelona (ESP) 5 (Lewandowski 13-pen, 78-pen, Raphinha 64, 90+6, Garcia 87)

Liverpool (ENG) 2 (Salah 34, Elliott 67) Lille (FRA) 1 (David 62)

Bologna (ITA) 2 (Dallinga 71, Iling-Junior 72) Borussia Dortmund (GER) 1 (Guirassy 15-pen)

Red Star Belgrade (SRB) 2 (Ndiaye 71, Djiga 77) PSV Eindhoven (NED) 3 (de Jong 17, 24, Flamingo 43)

Additional reporting by AFP