Barcelona was reduced to 10 men almost from the start on the opponent’s field. Portuguese club Benfica attacked one after another at the opportunity. However, the Catalan team did not give up until the end, returning with a victory. Hansi Flick’s Barca made a big step towards the quarter-finals.

Barca won 1-0 against Benfica on Wednesday night in the first leg of the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League. Brazilian star Rafinha scored his 25th goal of the season in all competitions. Benfica had 52 percent of the ball possession and took 26 shots on goal. Of these, 8 were on target. In contrast, 5 of Barcelona’s 10 shots were on target.

Barca suffered a big blow in the 22nd minute of the match. While trying to block the attack, Benfica’s Vangelis Pavdilis was fouled in front of the box by defender Pau Kubersi. He had to leave the field after seeing a straight red card due to a foul. Benfica also attacked one after another at the opportunity. However, they could not find the net in front of a less than one Barca. Even though Benfica could not, Barca did not make a mistake. Rafinha gave 10-man Barca the lead in the 61st minute. He scored the winning goal with a great shot. Barcelona will play the second leg at home on March 11.