The topics in football are often a reality, beyond sometimes they are repeated again and again without ton or are. It is clear that the game can be complicated for any detail, for a rebound, for a red … and to Barcelona, which last year suffered it in the return of the Champions League rooms against the PSG with the expulsion of Araujo, it happened again in the first leg of the eighths, this time with Cubarsí as the protagonist. At 20 minutes, the young central had to make a decision, and was wrong. He slipped PavlidisThe defense thought he was going to clear and risk. He took the attacker ahead. Red card with 70 minutes ahead and before an intense rival who, yes, was already subjected. Barcelona complained about a possible lack of Jong.
He recalled the situation to the last year, but the outcome was different, waiting for what happens in the Vuelta. The Barça resisted, showing that it is a more mature team despite the mistakes it has in the beginning and the ends of some match, and knew how to take advantage of its moment and the state of raphinha shape to also go with an advantage. Although The owner of most of the game, with ten and eleven, was Pedri. The Spanish team signed a feat, which also had a necessary point of luck and Szczesny superb in Benfica’s onslaught. Interestingly, he did it in the field where he began to be a real starter and in which he made two bulk mistakes. This time, zero on the Barca score has its seal.
From fright to Barça domain
It soon had to intervene the Polish in the face of the very clear auction of Akturboglu. The scare did not last too long for Barça, which little by little began to have a presence with the ball, when his most technical players associated: from Jong, Pedri or Dani Olmo were the owners of the ball and that is a good sign for the Barça. Olmo already had an occasion against, when Benfica could still press High. Then, he was not able because the Spanish team locked him in his area, who forgave the clearest at the feet of Lewandowskitwice, plus a third rejection than Lamine Yamal He did not succeed to take to the network.
Script change
The expulsion changed the script of the game because it caused the ball to change the master. The Portuguese already had more, while Barcelona had to retreat, thinking about what was ahead, including the return. Surviving was the word, but that is not done just defending. He also attacked, although to the spaces, with the De Jong’s drives, Pedri’s discharges or Lamine’s dribbles. He could not make his recovery game after loss with the defense very advanced, but gave a feeling of dangerespecially in a “casting” of Raphinha, very clear. The Brazilian stayed halfway between finishing off and passing, and did not go well. On the other side, Szczesny had to cancel Akturbogu again. It was almost the only arrival of Lusos from expulsion to rest. Araujo, who entered Dani Olmo, the sacrificed for the red, and Iñigo Martínez were solid.
Raphinha’s goal
Then suffered Barcelona, when Racing It began to carbure on the left side of the Portuguese attack. That’s when Szczesny had to make one of his best stops, before the shot of Aursnes. There were more, they were simpler, but you had to do them. Flick sought to protect himself with the presence of Ferran, more worker than Lamine. The Catalan team reduced damage and Pedri assumed control with his ability to retain the ball, teach it, attract rivals … When he had it, it was a respite for Barçaalthough the goal came in a recovery of Raphinha, which finished off from afar. He had some fortune because the ball touched in Otamendi and adjusted more to the stick.
Benfica returned to the load again and there it was already had to resist as it was, with Araujo and Iñigo protecting the area, and even lame. He ended up suffering, but he never lost his face to the game.