Barca ease into quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Barcelona 3 - 1 Benfica (Barcelona won 4-1 on aggregate)
Lamine Yamal stole the show once again as Barcelona booked their place in the Champions League quarter-finals with a composed victory over Benfica.
Stadium - Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys
The teenager produced a moment of brilliance to set up Raphinha for the opener before outdoing himself with a stunning strike to restore Barcelona’s lead on the night and extend their aggregate advantage to 3-1.
Nicolás Otamendi’s towering header had briefly given Benfica hope after cancelling out Raphinha’s opener, but Yamal’s magic proved decisive. Raphinha then sealed the win with a clinical finish into the bottom corner.
There was a moment of confusion over the Brazilian’s second goal, as it appeared play had been pulled back for an Otamendi foul on the edge of the area. But after a VAR review, the goal was given and Otamendi’s yellow card was rescinded.
Yamal impresses again
He lit up the European Championship in Germany last summer, playing a key role in Spain’s triumph, and he has only gone from strength to strength since.
His goal and assist on Tuesday night took his tally for the season to 28 goal contributions, but the numbers only tell part of the story. It is the sheer quality of his play that truly sets him apart.
His assist for the opener was a moment of brilliance, a deft flick slicing through Benfica’s defence to pick out Raphinha at the far post for a volleyed finish. His goal was even better, a perfectly struck effort from the edge of the box, bent beyond the keeper with immaculate technique.
Yamal is now closing in on 60 goals and assists for club and country—an extraordinary return for a player still in his teens.
His performance against Benfica also saw him etch his name into the history books. At just 17 years and 241 days, he became the youngest player ever to score and assist in a Champions League match.
