Also at Da Luz, Barcelona came back from behind when they were behind 2-4 in the qualifying round. That day, Raphinha was the hero who sealed the score at 5-4 in extra time. The Brazilian striker also scored the decisive goal to bring victory to Blaugrana in the first leg of the 1/8 round between the two teams.
In the qualifying round, there were 9 goals scored, a real round of golf. However, by the time of the match in the 1/8 round of the Champions League, there was only 1 goal from the "Giants". Barca played with one less player so they could not focus on attacking. Meanwhile, Benfica struggled but they were defeated by the final blocker, goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.
In the qualifying round, Szczesny conceded four goals. Among them, there were situations where the Polish goalkeeper made mistakes, some times due to weak defense leading to goals conceded. However, everything took a turn for the worse when Szczesny played brilliantly and brought Barcelona a surprising lead.
8 saves, even times when it seemed like the ball had gone into the net, was Szczesny's clearest answer to those who were skeptical about him being the main goalkeeper for Inaki Pena.
After signing the contract in October 2024, it was not until January 2025 that Szczesny began to officially occupy the position in goal. Hansi Flick has many young players in the upper line, so he really needs someone with experience to guard the goal. Barcelona wants to sign a free player, but most of them are too old or not qualified. Only Szczesny has met all the conditions Barca needed.
After a long break from competition, it took the Polish goalkeeper a few months to get back into the rhythm. The Athletic revealed that at first, the 34-year-old goalkeeper had a lot of difficulty catching up. It took Szczesny three months for his first chance. However, he did not play impressively in the Supercopa final against Real Madrid. Then there is the match against Benfica in the Champions League qualifying round.
The former Arsenal goalkeeper's uncertainty was shown through recoveries or pushing the ball out of the box. Szczesny often handled unsafely, causing Barca fans to lose hope. It was not until the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 that the Polish star regained his rhythm, when he met his opponent Benfica again, to show everyone the classy image he had in the past.
Szczesny's performance made fans better understand the saying: "The goalkeeper is half the team's strength". 8 great saves and excellent defensive guidance when Pau Cubarsi was sent off too early further enhanced Szczesny's value.
"When there are only 10 players left on the pitch, you need a great goalkeeper. Today, he had a very good performance. Szczesny saved Barca in many situations, helping the team keep a clean sheet. I am very happy about this" - captain Hansi Flick shared after the match.
When leaving the pitch with the victory, Szczesny joked to reporters that half of the MVP Pedri title he held was awarded to him. When asked if this was the best match of the season, Szczesny calmly replied, the better is ahead.
