Champions League: Barcelona produces astonishing, if controversial, comeback to down Benfica in nine-goal thriller
It’s customary for the Champions League to overdeliver on drama but rarely quite like Tuesday night’s game in Lisbon. The thrilling match between Benfica and Barcelona featured nine goals, a sensational comeback, and some of the most calamitous defending the competition has seen so far. After all that, it was Barça which triumphed 5-4 in the breathless encounter and booked a spot in the knockout stages of the competition, though a late and controversial refereeing decision allowed the winning goal to stand. Leading 4-2 with 12 minutes left to play, Benfica looked on course for a crucial victory to boost its chances of reaching the latter stages of the competition. But a second penalty from Robert Lewandowski, a header from Eric García and a counter-attacking move finished off by Raphinha in the 96th minute saw the Blaugrana mount an astonishing comeback, somehow snatching a sixth Champions League win this season. Benfica’s players, meanwhile, were left fuming at Raphinha’s goal being allowed to stand. Moments before, Fermín López appeared to have pushed Leandro Barreiro in the back inside Barça’s box, but a VAR review determined that no penalty should be awarded. The goal was allowed to stand, bringing a frantic game to an abrupt conclusion. “The mentality of the team, how they always believe in themselves, this is good to see,” Barcelona manager Hansi Flick told reporters. “It’s unbelievable. I was very happy with a point, but at end with three, of course it’s much better.” Unsurprisingly, Benfica manager Bruno Lage had an entirely different reaction, shouting and gesticulating at his players as they gathered on the pitch after the match. 
Eric García scores Barça’s fourth goal against Benfica. Rodrigo Antunes/Reuters It took the home side just two minutes to take the lead when Vangelis Pavlidis fired in from close range, but that was soon canceled out by Lewandowski’s first penalty of the game after Tomás Araújo stood on the foot of Alejandro Balde. Two Benfica goals followed in the half, the first after a calamitous error from Barça goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny – rushing off his line, missing the ball and colliding with Balde – allowed Pavlidis to run the ball into an open net. The Greek international completed his hat-trick inside half an hour from the penalty spot after Szczęsny, who was having a match to forget, once again came off his line and failed to deal with a loose ball. 
BARCELONA, SPAIN – OCTOBER 01: Robert Lewandowski of FC Barcelona looks on during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD2 match between FC Barcelona and BSC Young Boys at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on October 01, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images) David Ramos/Getty Images
Fortunately for the Spanish giants, both keepers would gift goals to the opposition. In a bizarre moment midway through the second half, Anatoliy Trubin hit a clearance straight into Raphinha’s head, leaving the crowd in stunned silence as the ball ricocheted into the net. That made it 3-2 before a further defensive mistake – this time when Barça defender Ronald Araújo prodded the ball into his own net – restored Benfica’s two-goal lead. But the game’s most dramatic turns were still to come. Lewandowski scored a second penalty – his 103rd goal in the Champions League – to put the comeback in sight for Barcelona, and the Catalans equalized when Pedri looped a perfect cross onto the head of García. With rain pouring down inside the Estádio da Luz, Benfica pressed hard to find the winning goal. But in doing so – and with a penalty decision not forthcoming – Raphinha was able to expose the home team’s sparse rear-guard efforts, turning inside a defender and hammering in a dramatic winner. Though already likely to reach the last 16 of this season’s Champions League, a victory guaranteed that Barça will automatically qualify for the next round. The competition’s new format sees the top eight teams go straight into the knockout stages, while the next 16 teams enter a playoff system for the next eight spots. Having dropped behind rivals Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid in La Liga, Barcelona fans will be hoping for a strong run in Europe to rejuvenate their season.
Liverpool maintains perfect record
Elsewhere, Liverpool continued its faultless start to the revamped Champions League with a 2-1 victory against French side Lille. Mohamed Salah scored the 50th European goal of his Liverpool career – a neat, first-time finish from Curtis Jones’ through-ball – before failing to convert an arguably more straightforward chance at the end of the first half. The miss seemed not to matter with the Reds controlling the game, and the home side remained on course for victory when Les Dogues defender Aïssa Mandi was sent off for a second yellow card. But Lille rallied and produced an unlikely equalizer minutes later through Jonathan David’s strike, the Canadian’s fifth Champions League goal this season. 
Salah celebrates his 50th European goal for Liverpool. Jon Super/AP A draw would have been only a very minor blip in Liverpool’s otherwise excellent European campaign, yet Harvey Elliott’s deflected shot ensured that the Reds’ winning streak continued under Arne Slot. According to Opta, the Dutchman is the second manager to win his first seven Champions League games with a club after Flick with Bayern Munich between 2019 and 2021. The victory guarantees Liverpool a spot in the last 16, though Barcelona’s late win means that the top spot in the league phase is still up for grabs.
Tuesday’s Champions League results
Monaco 1-0 Aston Villa Atalanta 5-0 Sturm Graz Atlético Madrid 2-1 Bayer Leverkusen Benfica 4-5 Barcelona Red Star Belgrade 2-3 PSV Liverpool 2-1 Lille Club Brugge 0-0 Juventus Slovan Bratislava 1-3 Stuttgart Bologna 2-1 Borussia Dortmund
Source: edition.cnn.com