Benfica showed why they are the first Portuguese team in history to qualify for the quarterfinals and gave battle to the current champions, who did not show their best day in defense. They conceded their first draw of the season (4-4) and only a header from Bronze in the last minute of the match prevented the culé from defeat. Barça did not concede four goals in the 2019 Champions League final against Lyon. In one match, the Lisbon team scored the same goals that the Blaugrana have conceded throughout the season.
Barça started with character, pushing the locals into their area and chaining shots led by Caroline Graham Hansen who is still in a state of grace. The top scorer in the F League showed that she has plenty of resources. She tried with a cannon shot from inside the area. Something unusual for the Norwegian, who is more fond of placement than power. Pauels managed to avoid the goal, but could not do anything to prevent the header from the Nordic forward, who also knows how to score with a header, from entering. Two minutes later she became an assistant, another role that she masters perfectly, to serve Patri Guijarro to make it 0 to 2.
But the culé dominance gave way to the Portuguese claw. Jessica Silva won the game against Marta Torrejón and gave the ball to Alidou, who closed the gap in an action that could well have been annulled for offside. The goal gave wings to Benfica who increased their pressure and put pressure on Barça looking for a tie. Up to four clear chances were accumulated by Filipa Patao’s team in the area of ??Gemma Font who made her debut this season between the sticks. Just before the break, Alidou would score the well-deserved equalizer after a cross from former Blaugrana Andrea Falcón and in the face of the culé’s defensive passivity.
In the second half Graham Hansen appeared to put the Blaugrana ahead again, finishing off a good lateral center from Mariona. But it would be the only glimpse of the Catalans who would see how Benfica became the protagonist of the second half. They didn’t stop until they were ahead on the scoreboard. First came Jéssica Silva’s equalizer after a new defensive blunder by the Catalan team and in the 81st minute, following a corner, it was 4-3 after Lucy Bronze put the ball into her own goal after a bad clearance. And when it seemed that the Blaugrana would leave with their first defeat of the season, the English full-back appeared to make up for his mistake with a header directly into the back of the net in the last minute of added time. A more than suffered draw from which Giráldez’s team will have to draw many conclusions, especially in defense.
