Barcelona’s thrilling comeback against Benfica on Tuesday delayed Liverpool’s confirmation as the winner of the league phase in the revamped Champions League. The match, which ended in a dramatic 5-4 victory for Barcelona, featured a remarkable turnaround that saw them score two late goals to secure the win.
Following the match, Barcelona manager Arne Slot expressed his admiration for referee Danny Makkelie, particularly for the amount of stoppage time he allowed. “Let’s start with a compliment for the referee in Lisbon,” Slot remarked. “In my experience, four minutes of extra time often leads to the referee blowing the whistle after just three minutes of delays. However, this referee kept the game going, which may not have favored us this time, but I appreciate that approach.”
Liverpool had previously secured their place in the last 16 with a 2-1 victory over Lille at Anfield, and they appeared poised to finish as league winners until Barcelona’s late heroics. Despite Benfica initially leading 3-1 and later 4-2, they were ultimately stunned by late goals from Eric Garcia and Raphinha in the 86th and 96th minutes, respectively. Liverpool remains at the top of the standings with a perfect record in this season’s Champions League, while Barcelona trails closely behind in second place. Liverpool’s final league phase match is against PSV Eindhoven next week, while Barcelona will face Atalanta.
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