Szczesny opens up about the mistake that cost the 2nd goal against Benfica

The historic comeback of FC Barcelona against Benfica (4-5) had Wojciech Szczesny as one of the protagonists of the night. The experienced goalkeeper had a forgettable first half, conceding three goals, with him having a very high responsibility for one of them. After the match in Lisbon, the Warsaw native analyzed the play in which he ended up assisting the Greek Vangelis Pavlidis, after a collision with Alejandro Balde.

"I think the timing of my exit was good, but Balde didn’t hear me. Fortunately, it was just one goal and we ended up winning the match. It was a misunderstanding, but it can happen because we were both going for the ball. I shouted and he didn’t hear me. It was a bit comical, but we ended up winning," the Polish player commented to 'Canal+'. Additionally, the Barcelona goalkeeper opened up about his adaptation to Hansi Flick's system, which has posed a challenge for him.

Wojciech Szczesny, surprised by Barcelona's system

"I had never played with such a high defense. Wenger (at Arsenal) demanded a lot from the goalkeeper, but here the players are very far from me. At 34 years old, you can always learn. It’s a great experience," Wojciech added. The Warsaw native made his debut on January 4 in the Copa del Rey (0-4 against Barbastro) and later played in the Supercopa de España (against Athletic and Real Madrid).

Looking ahead to the upcoming matches, Flick keeps the debate about the starting goalkeeper open, as the team has faced the same defensive issues with both the Polish player and Iñaki Peña. "Both have played very well. The decision has been for the team, we will see what happens on Sunday," he said referring to the performance of the '25' in Lisbon.

For Szczesny, there was a penalty in the action against Pavlidis

On another note, Wojciech also spoke about the controversy of the penalty awarded against Pavlidis in the first half. For the Barcelona goalkeeper, the referee's decision was correct. "On the field, it seemed to me that there was no contact, but after seeing the replay, it is a penalty". Likewise, the 34-year-old goalkeeper believes that, more than a way to redeem himself, his save against Ángel Di María towards the end "was a help to seek victory, defending with only two players." In that sense, he valued the effort and mentality of the team. "We could have accepted the 4-4, but we wanted the victory. It’s the culture of Barcelona", he pointed out.