Barcelona veteran jokes he deserves half of Pedri’s MOTM award after Benfica heroics | OneFootball

FC Barcelona were put to a stern test in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie against SL Benfica in Lisbon. The Blaugranes had to play a significant part of this game with only 10 men, as Pau Cubarsi was shown a red card in the 22nd minute.

Still, the Catalans remained resilient and took full advantage of their rare chances as Raphinha was able to give them a lead despite their numerical disadvantage.

Wojciech Szczesny was key in ensuring his side did not concede a goal on the night. This was a spectacular performance from the Polish goalkeeper, but as Mundo Deportivo has reported, he assured that “My best game is yet to come”, as he talked to the media after the game.

The veteran goalkeeper was particularly satisfied with the save he made only 20 seconds into the match:

“I really liked that save because it was important to concede few goals after the match in January. It was a great moment.”

The Barcelona shot-stopper also highlighted the changes his team had to make to adapt to the situation after Cubarsi’s expulsion:

“We understood what we had to do. We couldn’t play open; we had to stay together, compact, limiting their transitions. It was a strong team performance, with character, and we showed that we can win games by displaying another side of this team—by fighting.”

There is no doubt that Szczesny played a key part in helping his team get a win in this game. In fact, like most spectators, he believed he deserved the Man of the Match award as he joked:

“He [Pedri] won the MVP trophy, but I think I deserve half of it.”

Even though he did not get this recognition, most Barcelona fans would still be very happy with his performance and will be hoping he continues to put in such performances going forward to help their team in the upcoming crucial phase of the season.