A stunning goal from Raphinha and a strong defensive show, led by Wojciech Szczesny, helped 10-man Barcelona grind out a 1-0 victory over Benfica in their Champions League last-16 first leg on Wednesday.
Barcelona faced adversity early when Pau Cubarsi was shown a straight red card in the 20th minute for bringing down Vangelis Pavlidis just outside the box.
Benfica dominated possession afterward, repeatedly testing Szczesny, but the Polish goalkeeper produced a string of superb saves to keep the hosts at bay.
Despite being a man down, Barcelona seized their chance in the 60th minute.
Raphinha capitalized on a loose ball in midfield, moved forward and unleashed a powerful strike from distance, which took a slight deflection before nestling into the bottom corner.
Benfica pushed for an equalizer and Szczesny nearly conceded a penalty after colliding with Andrea Belotti in the box, but the offside flag spared Barcelona.
The goalkeeper then made a crucial stop in stoppage time to deny Renato Sanches and preserve the win.
