Barcelona brought a suitable tribute to the former doctor of the first team Doctor Carles Minarro Garcia by alleviating Beenfica on an emotional night in Catalonia.
Minarro Garcia, 40, died shortly before Saturday’s game against Osasuna, which had to postpone the game, and the Barca players were visibly moved during a period of commemoration prior to the start.
Coach Hans Flick said yesterday that the players would perform for Minarro Garcia and they certainly did that with a stylish display that marks them as a serious competition for this year’s Champions League.
Voor- and center, as was often the case this season, were Lamine Yamal and Raphinha.
The couple combined to give Barca a commander a 3-1 half-time lead that Benfica never came out, since they came in the second stage that already came 1-0 of the fixture in Lisbon last week.
Next for Barca is a quarter -final collision against Lille or Borussia Dortmund.
Yamal creates opener – but did he mean it?
Yamal had already tested Benfica goalkeeper Anatolii Truin before the 17-year-old created the opener with a beautiful piece of game.
He burst through the Benfica defense on the right side of the area for his cut shot – or was it a cross? – was perfect for Raphinha for volley in the back post.
The lead lasted only two minutes when Benfica returned from their first serious attack.
The left corner of Andreas Schjelderup was accidentally split by Robert Lewandowski and Nicolas Otamendi to respond a header past Wojciech Szczesny.
The goal meant that former Manchester City defender Otamendi became the third oldest player who scored in a Knockout match match of Champions League behind Edin Dzeko and Ryan Giggs.
He quickly returned to the day’s work to keep Barca at a distance, although it became an increasingly difficult task when the home team swarmed forward.
Dani Olmo Volleyde wide before Yamal’s long -distance effort trick clambed over his line.
Step forward the teenager
Yamal’s next intervention was amazing.
The Spain International cut from the right, hit Florentino and Samuel Dahl and, although the ball looked slightly behind him, he somehow put his left foot around it to bend a shot with a point point in the left corner of the corner.
“The prince is not far away to become the king around this place” 👑
Lamine Yamal’s produces a beautiful curler to pick up the 3-1 to Barcelona 🤩
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On 3-1 on aggregated it looked a long way back for the Portuguese side and they temporarily wilt.
Trubet saved well from Lewandowski four minutes before the break, but the Ukrainian keeper was powerless to prevent Barca from increasing their benefit 60 seconds later.
Alejandro Balde played in Raphinha and the Brazil attacker made no mistake with a fresh finish for his 11th Champions League goal of a hugely impressive season.
Barca convenience through the second half to continue marching
Fredrik Aurnes had not allowed a goal for offside at the start of the second half and with that Benfica’s chances of a comeback evaporated.
With the visitors who accepted their fate and Barca to turn the knife, the second half was a lot quieter than the first.
There was still the strange highlight, a brilliant Barca movement in which Frenkie de Jong, Raphinha, Jules Kounde and Yamal almost resulted in a tick for Dutch midfielder de Jong.
Beautiful football from Barcelona ends with Frenkie de Jong who has not been converted from close range 😯
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A raft of late replacements, including Yamal’s departure to a standing ovation, disturbed the flow of the game, but Barca’s supremation was never threatened.
