Barcelona’s remarkable 5-4 comeback victory over Benfica on Tuesday night in the Champions League left fans on the edge of their seats, as they secured a place in the last 16 in one of the most dramatic matches of the season.

The match began with an early shock for Barcelona, as Greek striker Vangelis Pavlidis put Benfica ahead after just two minutes, tapping in from close range. However, Barcelona responded swiftly when Robert Lewandowski equalised from the penalty spot in the 11th minute, following a VAR review that spotted a foul by Tomas Araujo on Alejandro Balde.

Just when it seemed Barcelona had weathered the storm, Pavlidis struck again, capitalising on a poor clearance from Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, who misjudged the ball and left the striker with a simple finish into an empty net.

The first half continued to go Benfica’s way as Pavlidis completed his hat-trick with another penalty after Szczesny fouled Kerem Akturkoglu in the 30th minute, giving the hosts a commanding 3-1 lead at the break.

In the second half, Barcelona showed signs of life, and a bizarre error by Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin in the 64th minute handed the visitors a goal. Trubin’s attempted clearance struck Raphinha’s head and ricocheted into the net, bringing Barcelona back into the game at 3-2.

But Benfica were not done yet, and they quickly restored their two-goal advantage four minutes later. A poor clearance from Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo resulted in an own goal, making it 4-2 to the hosts.With the clock ticking, Barcelona refused to give up, and Lewandowski kept his cool to score his second penalty of the night in the 78th minute, narrowing the deficit to 4-3.

As the match entered its final stages, Barcelona’s resilience paid off. Substitute Eric Garcia rose highest to meet a beautiful cross from Pedri, heading home the equaliser in the 87th minute, leveling the score at 4-4.The drama reached its peak in the dying moments of stoppage time. With just six minutes left to play, Raphinha launched a quick counter-attack that ended with him calmly finishing past Trubin to complete the turnaround and seal an unforgettable 5-4 victory for Barcelona.

This thrilling win not only saw Barcelona take all three points, but it also ensured their qualification for the knockout stages of the Champions League. The match will go down as one of the most exciting encounters of the season, with Raphinha’s last-gasp winner serving as the perfect climax to a sensational contest.