Champions League: Barcelona 5-4 Benfica, Atlético 2-1 Leverkusen
The Champions League night was defined by two spectacular performances. Barcelona completed a remarkable comeback against Benfica, winning 5-4 in a thrilling match. After a disastrous first half, where they trailed 3-1 with a hat-trick from Vangelis Pavlidis and an own goal from Ronald Araujo, the Catalans seemed on the brink of elimination.
However, they found an incredible resilience in the second half. Raphinha’s lucky goal (64th minute) brought them closer, followed by Lewandowski converting a penalty (77th minute) and Eric Garcia equalizing with a header (87th minute). In the dying seconds of added time, Raphinha scored a stunning goal, sealing Barcelona’s qualification for the Round of 16. This epic match will be remembered for years.
Meanwhile, Atlético Madrid defeated Bayer Leverkusen 2-1, despite a red card for Pablo Barrios in the first half. Leverkusen seemed to have the match under control when Hincapie scored just before the break (45+1). However, the Colchoneros responded strongly. Julian Alvarez equalized just after the break (52nd minute) following an individual masterpiece, then scored the winning goal in the final seconds (90th minute).
Thanks to this victory, Atlético climbs to third place in their group, with Alvarez playing a pivotal role. These two matches exemplify the unpredictable beauty of the Champions League, where anything can happen until the final whistle.
