Thrilling First Leg of the UEFA Champions League Round at Luz Stadium
Benfica hosted the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 at Luz Stadium, embroiled in an electrifying battle.
90+4’ - Renowned Strike!
Renato delivered a stunning shot, but the alert goalkeeper executed a remarkable save!
The match will extend with an additional 4 minutes of stoppage time.
90+1’
Yellow Card Alert
João Rego received a yellow card.
The second half is to be prolonged by 4 minutes.
88’ - João Rego Close Call!
João Rego narrowly missed scoring, as he was heavily marked and couldn’t find the net at the far post!
Arthur Cabral, as the third striker used tonight, takes the field. Amdouni misses out due to flu.
**84’
Tactical Substitution**
Kokçü exits, replaced tactically by Renato Sanches.
Pavlidis makes way for Arthur Cabral in another strategic switch.
A potential penalty overturned, as the VAR checks for Belotti’s offside status before the foul.
Benfica commands the play, while Barcelona holds their ground.
A corner in favor of Benfica!
**79’
Substitution Action**
Robert Lewandowski steps off as Gerard Martin takes his place tactically.
Frenkie de Jong also leaves the pitch, with Marc Casado stepping in through a tactical change.
Barcelona now relies on its workhorses, with Raphinha leading the charge.
The Luz Stadium is packed with 62,437 spectators.
76’ - Akturkoglu’s Attempt!
On a half-turn effort inside the box, Szczesny makes a save!
Dahl nearly delivers a deadly pass in Barcelona’s area!
Benfica in control, Barcelona stands firm.
**73’
Yellow Card Warning**
Álvaro Carreras receives a yellow card.
A grave mistake by Benfica’s defender provides Barcelona a scoring chance.
Benfica now fields two strikers, as Pavlidis is joined by Belotti.
**70’
Tactical Substitutions**
Leandro Barreiro is substituted by Andrea Belotti for tactical reasons.
Andreas Schjelderup is replaced by João Rego tactically.
69’ - Barcelona’s Area Under Threat!
Akturkoglu struggles to find space to shoot, amidst danger in Barcelona’s territory.
João Rego is set to make an appearance next.
67’ - Another Missed Opportunity!
Aursnes is again in a promising position but shoots straight at Szczesny!
61’ - Costly Defensive Mistake!
A poor defensive pass by António Silva is intercepted by Raphinha, who unleashes a left-footed strike from outside the box, leaving Trubin with no chance.
61’ Goal Explosion
Raphinha launches a spectacular goal for Barcelona from outside the box!
The crowd voices displeasure over Szczesny’s delay in restarting play.
57’ - Midfield Changes
Tomás Araújo leaves the field for Samuel Dahl in a tactical move.
Lamine Yamal exits, replaced by Ferrán Torres, amid loud Luz jeers.
51’ - Another Benfica Attack!
Aursnes fires a shot, only for Szczesny to block!
50’ - A Missed Chance by Pavlidis!
After excellent work by Schjelderup and a backward pass from Carreras, Pavlidis misses an opportunity in the heart of the box!
Benfica now plays towards their favored southern end.
46’ Start of the Second Half
The teams have returned to the pitch for the second half.
The halftime break sees a 0-0 draw, despite multiple chances on both sides. Benfica began strongly with opportunities for Akturkoglu and Barreiro, only for Barcelona to respond, with Trubin notably denying Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal.