Barça broke the tragedy around team doctor Carles Miñarro García in terms of sport and moved into the quarter -finals of the Champions League. In the victory against Benfica, the players interpreted several times.
Alexander Kohne reports from Barcelona
The goals for the hosts scored Raphinha (11th and 42nd minute) and Lamine Yamal (27th). Benficas Nicolás Otamendi achieved the interim compensation for the overall chanceless Lisbon (13th).
Flick had said in the press conference before the game: “We want to play for him, in this situation it is very important to win for him. We are ready for it.” His players followed these announcements and, according to the gates, repeatedly showed heaven as a greeting to the late doctors.
Before the kick -off against Benfica, a minute of commemoration for Miñarro was held in the Olympic Stadium on the Montjuïc Stadtberg, while the Barça’s player appeared visibly touched. After that, the “Blaugrana” Benfica, which played with black mourning flora, literally overran.
After Raphinha (3rd) and Lamine Yamal (6th) did not consistently play dangerous situations, Baldé came to the first major chance of the game in the ninth minute-but Benfica keeper Anatoliy Trubin tore up his hands in time and parried a seven-meter shot in the last second.
After the high -standing catalans failed a minute later in the form of Robert Lewandowski on the strongly laid -back goalkeeper of the Portuguese, Raphinha again used a wonderful preparatory work from Yamal to 1-0 for the hosts one minute (11th).
Then Barça’s vertebrae was suddenly stopped, because the Portuguese, which had been unexpectedly up to date, struck back unexpectedly two minutes later after a corner. The 37-year-old defense haud Otamendi skipped the entire defensive and, after involuntary extension of Lewandowski, easily headed to compensate (13th). Only 120 seconds after Barça’s lead.
Ex-national coach Flick became visibly dissatisfied on the sidelines, but his team did not leave him in this state of mind for long: After the former Leipziger Dani Olmo narrowly missed the Katen from nine meters, young star Yamal brought the new Barça lead in the 27th minute-with a dream goal: Only the 17-year-old rounded up an appeal like a slalom rod, then he shouted the ball of The penalty area boundary with a lot of feeling in the left upper gate angle. So very few players in Europe can do that.
However, Barça repeatedly showed uncertainties in defense. Shortly before the half -time break, Vangelis Pavlidis almost took advantage of it, but Benfica’s Greek failed from about eleven meters on the latte (39).
It was a wake -up call for Barça. Only Lewandowski failed from a short distance to Trubin (41.), then Raphinha made it better after a precise pass from Alejandro Balde and safely closed to 3-1 (42.). After a suspected offside position, the hit also withstanded the review of the video referee.