Benfica are denied a penalty within the build-up to an injury-time winner for Barcelona within the Champions League.
Raphinha struck a dramatic winner in stoppage time as Barcelona got here from behind to beat Benfica 5-4 in a wild match and just about guarantee direct qualification to the Champions League final 16.
The house facet believed they need to have had a penalty within the build-up to the late strike by Barca after Leandro Barreiro seemed to be shoved within the again by Ferran Torres within the field. VAR seemed on the attraction, delaying the celebrations for what can be the profitable aim, however elected to not ask the referee to take a second take a look at his resolution.
Benfica have been main 4-2 with below quarter-hour remaining within the sport on Tuesday however Barcelona mounted a shocking late comeback to remain three factors behind leaders Liverpool.
Vangelis Pavlidis hit a first-half hat-trick for the hosts, partly thanks to 2 huge errors by Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.
Nonetheless, a Robert Lewandowski double from the penalty spot, an Eric Garcia’s header and a brace for Raphinha helped Barcelona declare a shocking late triumph in Lisbon.
Benfica opened the scoring within the second minute, when Pavlidis escaped Pau Cubarsi and fired residence from Alvaro Carreras’s low cross.
Barcelona responded swiftly with Lewandowski scoring from the penalty spot after Alejandro Balde was introduced down by Benfica defender Tomas Araujo.
The hosts nosed again forward by means of a stroke of luck, when Szczesny raced out of his aim to attempt to minimize out a through-ball, however crashed into Balde.
Greece worldwide Pavlidis gleefully collected the unfastened ball and rolled his second into the empty internet.
Barcelona, who lured Szczesny out of retirement to switch the injured Marc-Andre ter Stegen in October, quickly fell additional behind.
Pavlidis accomplished his half-hour hat-trick with a penalty after one other Szczesny mistake, with the goalkeeper flying in to attempt to dispossess Kerem Akturkoglu, however bringing him down.
Lamine Yamal and Raphinha missed good possibilities earlier than the break as Barcelona pushed ahead.
Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin saved from Jules Kounde, who ought to have scored, and Lewandowski couldn’t flip residence from Pedri’s harmful ball throughout the face of aim.
Raphinha pulled one again for Barcelona in weird style as a clearance by Trubin struck his head on the sting of the realm and flew again into the online.
Nonetheless, Benfica quickly struck once more, with Ronald Araujo nudging previous Szczesny into his personal internet as he tried to chop out a cross.
Barcelona stored pushing and Lewandowski transformed one other penalty after Nicolas Otamendi introduced down Yamal.
The Catalan giants, who final gained the Champions League in 2015, pulled degree when substitute Garcia headed residence from Pedri’s inviting cross.
Szczesny saved former Actual Madrid star Angel Di Maria’s low shot earlier than Raphinha’s dramatic winner.
With Benfica interesting for a penalty, Barcelona sprang a fast breakaway and the Brazilian winger slotted residence to finish a blockbuster conflict.
