Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick was proud of his players for the effort they put into their 1-0 victory over Benfica in the Champions League last-16 first leg, despite playing with 10 men for most of the game on Wednesday.
Defender Pau Cubarsi was sent off in the 22nd minute for fouling the last man in a breakaway, though Raphinha’s second-half winner helped his club overcome the odds.
“It is a great victory,” Flick told Spanish TV station Movistar Plus. “We are thrilled not only with the win but also with how we managed to achieve it. We defended very well, defended as a team, that’s the most important thing for us. The collective effort from everyone.
“We managed the game well despite going a man down early in the first half and the response was fantastic. It wasn’t easy, but we still have to play the second leg. Benfica are a good team and we have to keep an eye on them.”
On the red card itself, Flick did not want to be too harsh on 18-year-old Cubarsi and understood that things like this can happen.
26 – Benfica had 26 shots against Barcelona in yesterday’s match; their most on record (since 2003-04) in a UEFA Champions League match without scoring. Fruitless. pic.twitter.com/4RyRVXOb7H
— OptaJoao (@OptaJoao) March 6, 2025
“[The red card] is one of those plays that happen in football, and it happened to us today. We all make mistakes.
“The most important thing is how we responded, and the reaction was great,” Flick said, before praising goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny for putting in a brilliant performance to keep Benfica at bay.
Szczesny was convinced to come out of retirement to play for Barcelona by Flick after Marc-Andre ter Stegen sustained a torn knee ligament in September and, after his performance on Wednesday, repaid the faith shown in him.
“Szczesny was fantastic. It’s clear that he is different now than he was when he arrived,” said Flick. “Every game he is more confident and we are defending better because of that. I’ve always known he could play at this level because I see him every day in training. It’s great for us.”
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