Barcelona hero Raphinha declared he is in the best form of his career after his 96th-minute strike handed the Blaugrana a stunning 5-4 Champions League win over Benfica. (More Football News)
🍒Raphinha scored twice as Barcelona booked their place in the competition's last 16 by fighting back from 3-1 and 4-2 down to win an incredible game in Lisbon.
🤪Raphinha's winning goal – a low strike on the counter attack moments after Benfica had a penalty appeal knocked back – was timed at 95 minutes and eight seconds.
🌸That is Barcelona's latest winning goal on record in the competition (since 2003-04), while his 10 goal involvements (eight goals, two assists) are the most of any player in the Champions League this season.
🔯Speaking to Movistar after his dramatic intervention, the Brazilian said: "I think I'm in the best moment of my career.
🅷"We knew it would be a pretty tough game. I know the difficulty of playing here, in front of their fans. They know how to play very well and have players of the highest level.
💮"We didn't fall apart at 3-1 in the first half. We came back focused to change the game. It was a spectacular match for everyone. Benfica could very well have won, but we took it."
𓃲Tuesday's game was the first in Champions League history to finish 5-4, with Barca becoming just the second team to win a match in the competition despite conceding four goals (after Borussia Dortmund 8-4 Legia Warsaw in November 2016).
꧃It was also the first time Barca had come from two goals down to win a European Cup or Champions League game, and just the second match in the competition to see Benfica lose after going two goals up (after a 3-2 loss to Red Star Belgrade in September 1984).
෴Head coach Hansi Flick said of their fightback: "The most positive thing was the mentality we had, we came back and it's wonderful, this is football.
🙈"I have never experienced a comeback like this. Benfica are very good, they made us defend deep."
💙Both sets of players became involved in a fracas at full-time, and Raphinha claims a number of Benfica players – infuriated by the failure to penalise Fermin Lopez in the build-up to the winner – hurled insults at him.
🧸"I am a person who respects everyone. When I left the field there were people who insulted me. I returned the insults, I know I shouldn't," the winger said.
🌞"We all got heated, but the Benfica players preferred to insult me. I'm a person who doesn't take anything home.
ไ"I respect if they respect me, but I don't shut up if they insult me. It's normal after a game that ends like this."
