Thrilling start to Champions League
After a long break, the 70th UEFA Champions League resumed last Tuesday night with a bang. The opening game of the new year was a thriller between Barcelona and Benfica, delivering a footballing spectacle for the ages. In a remarkable 9-goal encounter, Barcelona edged past Portuguese club Benfica with a 5-4 victory. The match was packed with drama, excitement, and unpredictability, leaving nothing to be desired.
In the first half-hour, Greek striker Vangelis Pavlidis stunned Barcelona with a hat-trick, giving Benfica a 3-1 lead. However, in the second half, Spanish giants Barcelona made a dramatic comeback, thanks to the double strikes from Polish striker Robert Lewandowski and Brazilian forward Raphinha. It was a night to remember for Barcelona fans, witnessing one of the highest-scoring games in the club’s Champions League history. Adding to the drama, Benfica’s Brazilian forward Arthur Cabral received a red card.
The match, held in Lisbon, Portugal, was an emotional rollercoaster. Vangelis’ hat-trick, completed in just 30 minutes with goals in the 2nd, 22nd, and 30th minutes (the last one from a penalty), shook Barcelona’s confidence. It was the third-fastest hat-trick in Champions League history. Barcelona managed to pull one back in the first half through Lewandowski’s penalty.
The second half saw Raphinha changing the game’s momentum. The Brazilian scored his first goal in the 64th minute. However, Barcelona’s hopes were momentarily dashed by an own goal from Ronald Araújo. The match came alive again in the 78th minute when Lamine Yamal earned a penalty, which Lewandowski converted to bring the game level. This goal marked Lewandowski’s 19th penalty goal in the Champions League, equaling Cristiano Ronaldo’s record.
The final moments were filled with tension and excitement. In the 86th minute, Eric Garcia’s header from a Pedri cross brought the score to 4-4. But the ultimate moment of glory came in stoppage time when Raphinha scored the winning goal, securing Barcelona’s place in the Champions League Round of 16. The game also sparked controversy due to several decisions by referee Danny Makkelie.
Meanwhile, at Anfield, English club Liverpool maintained their winning streak with a 2-1 victory over French club Lille. Liverpool took the lead in the 34th minute through Mohamed Salah. Lille was reduced to 10 men in the 59th minute after Aïssa Mandi’s red card. Despite Jonathan David’s equalizer in the 62nd minute, substitute Harvey Elliott scored the winning goal for Liverpool in the 67th minute. This marked Liverpool’s seventh consecutive win in the Champions League, confirming their place in the Round of 16.
In other matches, Atlético Madrid defeated Bayer Leverkusen 2-1, while Bologna claimed a 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund.
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