Raphinha and Lewandowski’s doubles: Barcelona player ratings vs Benfica by Dailysports

Benfica is the dark horse of European competitions. While few believe they can be serious contenders, they consistently create problems for their opponents.

At the start of the match, Benfica seemed intent on dismantling Barcelona. Despite the Blaugranas controlling possession for most of the game, the "Eagles" needed very little time to break through their opponent's defense. In fact, it often felt like Barcelona’s defense was nonexistent: Benfica exploited the Catalans’ high defensive line with ease and moved freely between their players.

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Yet, at 3-1, Barcelona managed an epic comeback. However, this seemed more like Benfica’s mistakes than Barcelona’s brilliance. The focus isn’t just on the two penalties — look at Raphinha’s goal, which was entirely down to Anatoliy Trubin’s error and misfortune. And then there’s the controversy over the referee allowing the winning goal in the 90+6th minute, despite only four minutes of added time.

Barcelona’s best players in the match

Robert Lewandowski

Two converted penalties deserve recognition. Unfortunately, in open play, Lewandowski managed only two shots, both off target.

Raphinha

It’s impossible not to highlight Raphinha’s dramatic final goal, which sealed Barcelona’s epic victory. His speed and composure at the critical moment were impeccable. But that wasn’t his only contribution — Raphinha stood out as the brightest spot in Barcelona’s attack, with shots, key passes, and dribbles throughout the match. That last goal, however, was monumental.

Pedri

As always, Pedri was pivotal in creating chances for his teammates. He provided an assist for Eric García and delivered five key passes. At times, it feels (and might be true) that the most dangerous player for Barcelona isn’t Lamine Yamal, Lewandowski, or Raphinha, but Pedri with his incredible ability to find teammates with precise passes.

Notable mention

Wojciech Szczęsny had a disastrous match. Beyond conceding a penalty, his mistake on the second goal was baffling. He came off his line unnecessarily, colliding with Balde and leaving both on the ground in pain, allowing Pavlidis to calmly walk the ball into the net. A complete mess.

Barcelona player ratings:

• Araújo – 6
• Balde – 7
• Gavi – 6
• Eric García – 7
• Frenkie de Jong – 6
• Casadó – 7
• Cubarsi – 6
• Koundé – 6
• Lewandowski – 8
• López – 6
• Gerard Martín – (played too little)
• Pedri – 8
• Raphinha – 8
• Ferran Torres – 7
• Szczęsny – 4
• Lamine Yamal – 7