Attention, FC Barcelona! Alejandro Balde ended the match against Benfica 'touched'

FC Barcelona experienced a truly memorable football day in Lisbon. Despite playing with a man down for a large part of the match due to the expulsion of Pau Cubarsí in the 22nd minute of the first leg of the UEFA Champions League 2024-25, Hansi Flick's team managed to prevail against SL Benfica (0-1).

It was thanks to character, effort, and a 'master class' in managing key moments of the game that they were able to withstand the attempts of the Portuguese to tilt the balance in their favor. The Barça team stood firm like the best of boxers, enduring the opponent's blows and delivering a decisive blow that knocked out the Portuguese in this first electrifying duel.

The clash against Benfica was a physical challenge for FC Barcelona

It is clear that an intense battle took place at the Estádio da Luz between the Portuguese team and FC Barcelona. A real 'war' that apparently left physical marks on several players of the Catalan side. And why not? During the match, it was evident that most of the assets of the Blaugrana had to run considerably, especially being numerically inferior.

In fact, according to the match statistics, Barça covered 112.4 km in the 90 minutes, six kilometers less than the home team. However, it is important to mention that Benfica had one more player on the field, which made a significant difference in the game's development.

Alejandro Balde suffered a harsh blow to his ankle in the match against the Portuguese

One of the players who apparently ended up with more physical setbacks in the match against the Lisbon side was Alejandro Balde. The 21-year-old left-back, as reported by journalist Javier Miguel in 'Diario AS', suffered a strong blow to the ankle during the game against the Portuguese.

This incident led him to appear visibly exhausted in the final minutes of the match. Hansi Flick quickly identified his issues and, in the 78th minute, substituted Robert Lewandowski with Gerard Martín, moving Alejandro Balde to a more advanced position as a left winger and practically relieving him of defensive duties.

The full-back may not start against CA Osasuna

This ankle injury, by the way, makes Alejandro Balde one of the big question marks for the match against CA Osasuna on Saturday, March 8. The presence of the Culé's '3' apparently is not in doubt due to the severity of the injury, but rather because the match against Osasuna is this Saturday, which could leave little time for recovery.

Furthermore, it is a fact that the return match in the UEFA Champions League will also be played on Tuesday, March 11 at Montjuïc against SL Benfica, so, with the aim of having Alejandro Balde fully rested for this match, it would not be surprising if he is not a starter against the 'rojillos'. In his place, Gerard Martín would enter, who, it is worth mentioning, already knows what it's like to be the starting left-back for FC Barcelona against CA Osasuna in LaLiga EA Sports, as in the first leg match (Matchday 8) on September 28, Hansi Flick also gave him the opportunity to replace the '3' in the starting eleven.