UEFA Champions League

Benfica 0-1 Barcelona: Raphinha's strike and Szczesny's heroics earn 10-man Barca victory at Benfica

Barcelona battled to a gutsy 1-0 win over Benfica in their Champions League last-16 first-leg clash on Wednesday, with Raphinha netting the decisive goal despite the visitors playing most of the match with 10 men. Teenage defender Pau Cubarsí was shown a straight red card in the 22nd minute for a last-man challenge on Vangelis Pavlidis, leaving Barça under intense pressure. However, an outstanding performance from veteran goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny kept them in contention before Raphinha capitalized on a defensive mistake to secure the win.