Raphinha caps late Barcelona comeback to settle nine-goal thriller with Benfica

Raphinha scored deep into stoppage time to hand Barcelona a dramatic 5-4 comeback win at Benfica and a place in the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday.

Vangelis Pavlidis’s hat-trick had given the hosts a two-goal half-time lead and they were 4-2 up with 12 minutes to play before Hansi Flick’s side pulled out a sensational victory, sealed by the Brazilian with a finish on the break, seconds after Benfica had appealed in vain for a late penalty.

The Greece striker Pavlidis opened the scoring on two minutes with a tap-in before Robert Lewandowski equalised from the spot after VAR awarded Barça a penalty for a Tomás Araújo foul on Alejandro Balde in the 11th minute. Pavlidis restored Benfica’s lead, capitalising on a poor decision to leave his area by goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, who left the forward with an open goal.

Pavlidis bagged his third goal with a penalty after Szczesny continued his difficult night with a clumsy foul on Kerem Akturkoglu at the half-hour mark. It was 3-1 at half-time, but a bizarre blunder by Anatoliy Trubin let Barça back into the game in the 64th minute. The Benfica keeper’s clearance ricocheted off Raphinha’s head and looped into the net from 25 yards out.

Vangelis Pavlidis (right) scored a hat-trick for Benfica, but still ended up on the losing side. Photograph: Tiago Petinga/EPA

Barcelona’s defensive misfortune continued, though, and Benfica restored their two-goal lead again four minutes later thanks to an own goal from Ronald Araújo. The visitors would not lie down, and Lewandowski scored his second goal of the night with another clinical penalty in the 78th minute.

Substitute Eric García then equalised with a towering header from a fine Pedri cross three minutes from time. Benfica pushed for a winner and sparked a melee in the Barça box, but a long ball downfield found Raphinha who picked his spot to grab an extraordinary winner six minutes into added time.

“We knew it was going to be a difficult game. I know how difficult it is to play here against Benfica. They have players of the highest level,” former Sporting forward Raphinha told Movistar. “We didn’t let ourselves get carried away when we were 3-1 down. It was a spectacular match for the spectators. Anyone could have won.”

“It was an incredible victory. The team didn’t lose their heads throughout the game,” defender García said. “When you start the game losing, it messes your plans. It’s important to qualify for the next round, we came with this objective in mind.”