Barcelona’s 4-4 Draw Against Benfica: Defensive Errors Lead to Nail-Biting Finish

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Barcelona always wants more and more. Although not everything turns out the way you want. They wanted to get rid of the thorn of the full number of victories in the group stage that they did not achieve last year, when they lifted the Champions trophy in the final. But defensive errors and an aggressive Benfica – despite neither of the two, already classified, being at risk for a place – got in the way of Jonatan Giráldez’s goals, who settled for a desperate draw (4-4). Four goals conceded for Barcelona that equaled the only four goals against that they had accumulated throughout this season.

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Lena Pauels, Christy Ucheibe, Ana Seiça, Laís Araújo, Anna Gasper, Lúcia Alves, Andrea Falcón, Andreia Faria, Nycole Raysla, Marie-Yasmine Alidou and Jéssica Silva

FCBF FC Barcelona Women

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Gemma Font, Marta Torrejón, Lucy Bronze, Ona Batlle, Ingrid Engen, Aitana Bonmatí, Patri Guijarro, Keira Walsh, Salma Paralluelo, Mariona Caldentey and Caroline Graham Hansen

Goles 0-1 min. 17: Caroline Graham Hansen. 0-2 min. 20: Patri Guijarro. 1-2 min. 25: Marie-Yasmine Alidou. 2-2 min. 44: Marie-Yasmine Alidou. 2-3 min. 53: Caroline Graham Hansen. 3-3 min. 70: Jessica Silva. 4-3 min. 81: Lucy Bronze (pp). 4-4 min. 96: Lucy Bronze.

Referee Emanuela Rusta

Yellow cards Ana Seiça (min. 41), Carole Costa (min. 70) and Ona Batlle (min. 79)

They arrived with the calm of the winner, already being in the next phase, classified and first in group A. Both left, a priori, with the job done. But the eagerness and intensity did not take long to appear: Graham Hansen opened the scoring with a header, and the captain, Patri Guijarro, followed a minute later thanks to his assist. The high pressure of Filipa Patao’s team – just like in the first leg, the last one that Alexia Putellas played due to a blow to her knee – took its toll on a defense that missed Irene Paredes, who was out at the last minute for a virus. A set of errors that led to a commendable double for Alidou.

Barcelona was not fine in defense: another goal from the Norwegian – Hansen has accumulated 19 goals throughout the season in three competitions – revived its offensive power, but Jessica Silva once again equalized in the second half. Barcelona had not conceded three goals since December 7, 2022. Jonatan Giráldez, sitting on the bench, put his hands on his head. And Bronze lowered his gaze after scoring the fourth goal for Benfica that made their comeback official.

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Barça went all out and fought with the youngest players: Vicky López, Ari Arias and Martina Fernández entered in the last five minutes of regulation. The intensity of the match grew with the need for a goal from Barcelona who, in a sea of ​​legs in the rival area, suffocated. The reigning European champions came close to their first defeat this season. But Bronze decided – in time, although late – to redeem his mistakes throughout the game to score the last desperate goal, which tied the score. With the Spanish Super Cup in his pocket, the shuttle continues towards the other three trophies. On February 6, the draw for the quarterfinals will be held with three possible candidates for Barcelona: Brann, Häcken and Ajax.

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2024-02-01 01:45:14
#erratic #Barcelona #defense #settles #draw #Benfica