Champions League: The Weakness of Benfica That FC Barcelona Perfectly Exploited

New exhibition from the FC Barcelona, this time to make a statement and qualify for the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League 2024-25, doing so with remarkable ease. Lamine Yamal (with one goal and one assist) and Raphinha (with two goals and one assist) were outstanding, achieving a memorable 3-1 at home.

This victory, probably dedicated to doctor Carles Miñarro due to the emotional context, extends a streak of 17 matches unbeaten so far in 2025. It also highlights the spectacle included in a competition where it will always be special to enjoy great performances.

In this match, which took place in a Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys that was quite crowded despite the atypical schedule, the FC Barcelona showed the version everyone wanted to see: a team that takes control of the game, offensively overwhelms its opponents, and demonstrates tactical intelligence. It didn't take long for them to identify the weak point of SL Benfica and exploit it in two of the three goals conceded in the goal defended by Anatoli Trubin.

Barcelona Spectacularly Capitalized on the Absence of Álvaro Carreras

The key to this match was related to a particular absence: that of Álvaro Carreras, the 21-year-old Spanish left-back. The player from Ferrol, who received a yellow card in the first leg while already on a warning, had to stay in the stands for this duel, being replaced by Samuel Dahl.

The absence of Álvaro Carreras was spectacularly capitalized on by Lamine Yamal, who was completely unleashed in this encounter. It is no coincidence that this was the match where the Spanish-Moroccan right winger performed the best, at least in terms of the matches played against the Lisbon team in this edition of the UEFA Champions League 2024-25.

Lamine Yamal Was the Biggest Beneficiary of the Absence of the Spanish Left-Back

With Lamine Yamal enjoying greater freedom of action, more opportunities were created, as demonstrated in the flow of the game. In fact, two of the three goals for the Catalans originated from the creativity and flair of the '19' on that flank.

In the first goal, where the genius from Rocafonda assisted Raphinha, he is seen covering a long stretch on the right wing without any opposition. It is only when Lamine Yamal reaches the final third of the field, almost at the edge of the opponent's area, that Samuel Dahl appears in the shot and retreats with great passivity.

Then, Lamine performs a brilliant move to shake off his markers and precisely set up Raphinha, allowing the '11' to score with ease. Nothing more to say about what was a genuine stunner.

In the second blue-and-burgundy goal, once again Lamine Yamal took advantage of the left flank, but this time his victim was António Silva, who could not contain the '19' in a one-on-one. The youth player managed to shake off the mark of the Portuguese defender and unleashed a powerful 'whip' with curl using his left foot, taking advantage of the total freedom of action in an unprotected area where no one came to mark him.

Did the blue-and-burgundy club win the tie with the result obtained in the first leg?

These two goals demonstrated the ability of FC Barcelona to exploit the main weakness in the tactical setup of SL Benfica: the absence of Álvaro Carreras, a solid defender who also contributes a lot in attack. Without him, Barça dominated that sector of the field at will, securing a victory that was unattainable for the Portuguese team.

The FC Barcelona ended up taking a series that was practically defined in the first leg, where they managed to secure a good victory against a Lisbon team that at that moment did not know how to take advantage of the numerical advantage to achieve a favorable result. Furthermore, they ended up losing one of the best players on their team, which they sorely missed in the duel against the Catalans.