Barcelona gave a reliable tribute to former first team of Carles Minarro Garcia, relaxing the past Benfica on an emotional night in Catalonia.
Minarro Garcia, 40 years old, died shortly before Saturday’s game against Osasuna, urging the fight to be postponedand Barca players were visibly moved during a memory period before they started.
Coach Hans Flick said yesterday that the players would play for Minarro Garcia and certainly did it with an elegant screen marking them as a serious Champions League candidate.
The front and center, as is often the case this season, was Lamine Yamal and Raphinha.
The couple in combination with Hand Barca was the 3-1 semi-year lead, which Benfica never looked like the overthrow as they came to the second leg already 1-0 below the Lisbon accessory last week.
Barca is then a fourth conflict against either Lille or Borussia Dortmund.
Yamal creates a opener – but did he mean?
Yamal had already tried Benfica goalkeeper Anatolii Tubin before the 17 -year -old created the opener with a wonderful part of the game.
Did he dug Benfica’s defense on the right edge of the area before his slice – or was it a cross? – It was ideal for raphinha at volley on the back.
The lead lasted just two minutes, as Benfica hit behind their first serious attack.
Andreas Schjelderup’s left corner was inadvertently broken by Robert Lewandowski and Nicolas Otamendi reacted well to dominate a header beyond Wojciech Szzesny.
The goal meant that former Manchester City Otamendi defender became the third oldest player to score in a Champions League knockout game behind Edin Dzeko and Ryan Giggs.
He returned quickly to the work of the day trying to keep Barca in the vagina, though it was a more difficult task, as the side of the house fell forward.
Dani Olmo ran widely before Yamal’s long -standing attempt had Tubin to mix his line.
Step forward the teenager
Yamal’s next intervention was amazing.
Spain international cut off from the right, bypassing Florentino and Samuel Dahl and, although the ball looked slightly behind him, somehow wraps his left foot around him to bend a shot in the upper left corner.
“The prince is not too far away to become the king around this place” 👑
Lamine Yamal’s produces a wonderful Curler to make it 3-1 in Barcelona 🤩
📺 Watch the Champions League live @tntsports & @DiscoveryPlusuk pic.twitter.com/A26atia5nf
– Football at TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 11, 2025
At 3-1 below the whole, it looked far behind for the Portuguese side and temporarily wither.
Tubin rescued Lewandowski four minutes before halftime, but the Ukrainian goalkeeper was powerless to prevent Barca from increasing their advantage additional 60 seconds later.
Alejandro Balde played at Raphinha and Brazil forward did not mistakenly made a crunchy finish for the 11th Champions League target for another extremely impressive time.
Barca facilitates the second half to drink
Fredrik Aursnes had a target forbidden for Offside at the beginning of the second half and with the chances of Benfica for a return evaporated.
With visitors accepting fate and barca in no mood to twist the knife, the second half was much quieter than the first.
There was still the odd highlight, a brilliant Barca move that includes Frenkie de Jong, Raphinha, Jules Kounde and Yamal almost resulting in a tap for the Netherlands Midfielder de Jong.
Wonderful football from Barcelona ends up with Frenkie de Jong not turning from nearby 😯
📺 Watch the Champions League live @tntsports & @DiscoveryPlusuk pic.twitter.com/hulcnzwabb
– Football at TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 11, 2025
A series of delayed substitutions, including Yamal’s departure in a persistent cheer, interrupted the flow of the game, but Barca’s superiority was never threatened.
