Benfica 4-5 Barcelona: Match report & talking points as Catalans stage incredible comeback | OneFootball

Barcelona pulled off an astonishing but controversial late comeback to beat Benfica 5-4 in a remarkable Champions League battle on Tuesday evening.

Vangelis Pavlidis scored a quick-fire hat-trick in the opening half-hour as Barcelona's defence - particularly goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny - imploded in a frenetic first half, with Robert Lewandowski's penalty briefly levelling for the visitors.

Raphinha reduced the deficit with an unlikely header after the break before Ronald Araujo's own goal put Benfica back in the driving seat four minutes later, but another Lewandowski penalty and late Eric Garcia header brought Barcelona level.

Hansi Flick's spirited visitors managed to secure all three points in the 96th minute as Raphinha scored on the counter-attack after Benfica felt they should have been awarded a penalty for a push on Leandro Barreiro in the build-up.

How the game unfolded

Barcelona visited Lisbon searching for a sixth successive European victory but made a nightmarish start as they fell behind within two minutes. Alvaro Carreras was the architect as a cross-field switch caught the visitors cold and Pavlidis produced a composed close-range finish to match the left-back's enticing delivery.

Fredrik Aursnes came within inches of doubling Benfica's advantage several minutes later as Barcelona's backline made a sleepy start, but the home side shot themselves in the foot shortly afterwards.

Tomas Araujo's rash challenge on Alejandro Balde gifted the Catalan giants a spot kick following VAR intervention, with Lewandowski's ice cold penalty drawing them level in a breathless start at the Estadio da Luz.

Barcelona began to hit their stride following their equaliser but some disastrous defending allowed Benfica to retake the lead. A long pass behind the visitors' defence saw Szczesny needlessly sprint off his line and clatter Balde, with Pavlidis picking up the loose ball and rolling into an empty net.

Szczesny's evening went from bad to worse just before the hour mark as the Poland international's mistimed dive presented Benfica with the second penalty of the match, Pavlidis slotting past Barcelona's villain to secure a remarkable 30-minute hat-trick.

Barcelona's third-choice goalkeeper had proven the catalyst for Benfica's first-half surge but it was Trubin in the other net who offered the Catalans a route back into the encounter just after the hour mark. The Ukrainian's pinged pass bizarrely deflected off Raphinha's head and into his net as another blunder added to the scoreline.

However, Barcelona refused to be outdone in the gaffe department as Benfica swiftly restored their cushion. A fairly tame near-post cross was poked beyond Szczesny by his own centre-back Araujo as Flick watch on in despair from the sidelines.

But the German looked far happier ten minutes after Araujo's own goal as Barcelona once again cut Benfica's advantage. Another penalty was awarded for the visitors after Carreras' pull in the area and Lewandowski stroked him his second spot kick of the evening with no fuss.

Garcia was Barcelona's unlikely saviour in the closing stages as he equalised with a well-placed header, but the Catalans were not done there.

Raphinha's clinical finish deep in stoppage time completed an exceptional turnaround for Barcelona as the Brazilian broke free on the counter-attack and wrong-footed Trubin, although Benfica were left infuriated as they were not awarded a penalty for a push on Barreiro at the other end moments before the late winner.

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Raphinha saves the day during bonkers affair

Raphinha won it for Barca late on / Soccrates Images/GettyImages

Barcelona's defence may have produced a tragic performance against Benfica but the same can't be said of their forward line. While they sometimes lacked their usual fluidity and ingenuity, sheer determination won the day as Raphinha saved his defenders' backsides.

The Brazilian won it late for La Blaugrana with a typically clutch performance, keeping his composure in the dying embers to spare his side's blushes. The winger has been simply sensational this term and has once again proven why he's one of Europe's most devastating forwards.

It's difficult to read too much into such a bizarre and outrageous affair, with Benfica hard done by not to earn at least a point for their performance, but Barcelona's character certainly can't be questioned as they fought tooth and nail for all three points.

Barcelona's high line exposed

Hansi Flick's high line was breached repeatedly / Sports Press Photo/GettyImages

Benfica enjoyed just 27% possession during the first half but found themselves 3-1 ahead at the break. They didn't have to do too much to earn their advantage, especially following Szczesny's disaster-class, with their intense pressing and direct approach proving too much for Barcelona's rearguard to handle.

The La Liga side's high line was the issue, frequently caught out by quick-fire switches of play and searching balls in behind. Flick's gung-ho defensive strategy proved Barcelona's undoing - and not for the first time this season.

Even the speedier members of their backline were unable to track marauding runs from agile wingers and forward-thinking full-backs, with Barcelona looking susceptible every single time the home side threw bodies forward.

While a late winner bailed them out, they surrendered an xG of 3.28 and six big chances as Benfica's forward line repeatedly tore them apart.

Wojciech Szczesny delivers disastrous display

Wojciech Szczesny protested his innocence as he handed Benfica their spot kick / PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/GettyImages

There were eyebrows raised when Hansi Flick opted for Szczesny ahead of Inaki Pena in the Barcelona goal. The 34-year-old was making just his fourth appearance for the club after being sent off during the Supercopa de Espana final victory over Real Madrid. Flick's decision was not an inspired one.

The veteran endured a torrid and confidence-sapping first half in Lisbon as he single-handedly offered Benfica their two-goal cushion heading into the break. A headless charge off his line saw him collide into his own defender and gift-wrap Pavlidis' second of the match, with a similarly misguided decision to leave his goal resulting in a home penalty.

While Szczesny improved after the break, even making several decent saves, he never cut a convincing figure and was fortunate not to finish on the losing side following a disjointed and rusty display.