Flick was right: Spectacular display by Szczesny: the best of Barça in Lisbon

FC Barcelona took a giant step towards the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League with a hard-fought but deserved victory against Benfica in Lisbon (0-1). Wojciech Szczesny was crucial in the Blaugrana's victory, alongside Pedri and Raphinha, supporting Hansi Flick's team after the early red card for Pau Cubarsí. The center-back saw a direct red card in the 22nd minute for a clear foul on the edge of the area on Pavlidis, as the last man.

From there, Benfica found more spaces to threaten the Barça defense, but the Pole once again proved Hansi Flick right with a memorable performance. There were eight saves from the 34-year-old goalkeeper during the 90 minutes, in a stadium where, 43 days earlier, he had suffered in a first half to forget. Since that match on matchday 7 of the league phase, the coach reaffirmed his confidence in the former Juventus player, and the '25' has responded magnificently.

Wojciech Szczesny rose to the occasion with Barça in numerical inferiority

The eight saves on Wednesday were, in fact, a record for a Barça goalkeeper in Europe since the 2003/04 season, in a match without conceding goals. Szczesny has 8 clean sheets in 14 appearances with the Blaugrana this 2025, also maintaining an unbeaten record in all competitions. The night in Lisbon began with a low save from a shot by Aktürkoglu just 20 seconds into the match.

The Pole appeared again after the expulsion of Cubarsí, clearing a free kick from Kocku. In the 40th minute, he made his third save with an unorthodox but effective outing against a header from Aktürkoglu. In the second half, Kokcu tested the experienced Blaugrana goalkeeper again right after the restart with a long-range shot. Pavlidis, in the 50th minute, also could not overcome 'Tek's' resistance.

After that, with Barça leading thanks to Raphinha's goal, Szczesny responded confidently again, blocking another attempt from Aktürkoglu. In the 82nd minute, there was a penalty by '25' on Bellotti, but the play was canceled due to an offside prior. In stoppage time, Renato Sanches tried with a long-range shot, but 'Tek' saved his clean sheet with a tremendous punch. In the end, the 'eagles' were once again grounded against a Barcelona that will look to close the tie at home next Tuesday.