Szczesny spread his 10 hands to block all of Benfica's effort in a game. Barcelona had to play with 10 men for nearly 70 minutes as Cubarsi was sent off for a tactical foul on Pavlidis.
Barcelona Won An Away Game Against Benfica With 10 Men Where Szczesny Became The Wall For The Spanish Side To Secure A One-Goal Advantage In The Champions League Round Of 16
Hansi Flick’s emergency signing has now become an essential part of the team. Szczesny, who retired from football and spent time in his farmhouse, got a call from Barcelona due to the long-term injury of Ter Stegan and is now showing his capabilities to save Catalans in the Champions League.
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Szczesny Alone Stopped Benfica Players Covering Space Of Cubarsi To Manage 10 Men Disadvantage
The Polish goalkeeper saved 8 on-target chances for Benfica, leaving them frustrated and forced to take shots whenever possible to beat him without keeping patience. Benfica was trapped here; despite playing good football, they failed to make sure-shot chances and lacked finishing precision.
Barcelona players took 10 shots, 50% on target, and the Portuguese side took 26 shots of which 8 were on target that shows the scope the home team got and wasted by shooting out of the goal. However, missing some one-to-one shots was another reason Benfica failed to open the score sheet.
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The situation became easier for Benfica after the Referee sent Cubarsi off for a tactical foul. Cubarsi was the last man to stop Pvaldis just outside the box, and the referee showed a straight red as this was a pure goal-scoring opportunity for Benfiica.
Opposite to the attack flow, Raphina opened the scoresheet for Barcelona, utilizing Antony’s mispass in the dangerous area. The Catalsans then sit back to defend till the final whistle, and now Benfica has to play away in Spain to qualify for the second round on 11th March.
Picture Credit- Aljazeera
