Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick has praised his player’s ‘never-die’ attitude, after they secured a remarkable 5-4 comeback win over Benfica in the UEFA Champions League.
The Blaugrana came into the game on the back of a disappointing 1-1 draw against Getafe on Saturday, and things went from bad to worse as they went into the halftime break 3-1 down, after Benfica’s striker Vangelis Pavlidis scored a first-half hat-trick despite Robert Lewandowski’s brief equalizer for the visitors.
Raphinha made it 3-2 in the second half, before an own goal by Ronald Araujo put the Portuguese side 4-2 up with just over 20 minutes to play.
Three late goals, the first one a penalty by Lewandowski, and two brilliant efforts by Eric Garcia and Raphinha- in stoppage time, ensured the Laliga side were victorious and secured qualification for the Round of 16 of the competition.
“It was a very crazy game. The most positive thing was the mentality we had. We came back and that’s wonderful. That’s football and that’s why we love it.
I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a comeback like this. It is unbelievable. We didn’t play so well in the first half. They are very good and scored first”, Flick said after the match.
“They made us defend very deep. We were not in the right position. In the second half we were better and substitutions helped us a lot.”
Barcelona will host Italian Serie A side Atalanta at home in their final group game of the campaign next week, hoping to end on a high note.
“The victories give us time to keep believing in this project and send the message to the young players that we can and want to improve,” he added.
“It’s very important to focus on the Valencia game and we also want to beat Atalanta. We don’t have to think that we are at ease.”
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
