Reuters
Raphinha [Source: Reuters]
Raphinha scored deep into stoppage time to hand Barcelona a dramatic 5-4 comeback win at Benfica and a place in the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday after a hat-trick from Vangelis Pavlidis gave the hosts a two-goal halftime lead.
Greek striker Pavlidis opened the scoring after two minutes with a tap-in before Robert Lewandowski equalised from the spot as VAR awarded Barca a penalty for a Tomas Araujo foul on Alejandro Balde in the 11th minute.
Pavlidis restored Benfica’s lead, capitalising on a poor run out by goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, who left the forward with an open goal. The 26-year-old bagged his third with a penalty after Szczesny fouled Kerem Akturkoglu on the half-hour mark.
A blunder by Benfica keeper Anatoliy Trubin also proved costly as he cleared the ball straight onto Raphinha’s head and into the net for a bizarre goal as the visitors pulled one back in the 64th minute to make it 3-2.
Barcelona’s defensive misfortune continued however and Benfica extended their lead again four minutes later thanks to an own goal from Ronald Araujo before Lewandowski scored his second with another clinical penalty in the 78th.
Substitute Eric Garcia then equalised with a towering header from a fine Pedri cross three minutes from time before Raphinha found the winner six minutes into stoppage time from a quick counter-attack that stunned the home crowd.
