‘A great team’… Benfica coach admits Barcelona were the better side in their UCL Round of 16 tie | OneFootball

FC Barcelona put in another incredible performance to get the better of SL Benfica in the second leg of their Round of 16 tie last night. The Blaugranes emerged as 3-1 winners in this game, which means they have secured their spot in the quarter-finals of the competition with a 4-1 win on aggregate.

The Portuguese side put on a brave outing, but were no match for the Catalans in this tie. As Mundo Deportivo has reported, this fact was admitted by the Benfica coach, Bruno Lage, himself as he talked to the press after the end of the game.

Talking about Barcelona, the Portuguese coach was clear that they are going into the quarter-finals on their own merit:

“Barcelona proved to be a great team and continues in the competition on its own merits.”

Further commenting on how the Catalans were able to get the better of his team, the Benfica coach stated:

“We were unable to stop their play between the lines or their depth. And we also didn’t create what we usually do in the defensive area.”

There is no doubt that the Portuguese side had put up a significant challenge for the Blaugranes in the two previous matches in which the two sides met earlier this season. The first of these games ended 4-5, while the latter ended 0-1 in Barcelona’s favor.

However, last night, Hansi Flick’s men left no doubt about their superiority over Benfica, as the likes of Raphinha and Lamine Yamal ran riot in the first half to give their side a 3-1 advantage going into the half-time break.

This lead allowed Barcelona to play the second half at their own pace, which can prove to be important going forward, keeping in view the hectic schedule they have ahead of them. Now, the Blaugranes will have another difficult match awaiting them as they face Atletico Madrid in a crucial La Liga tie.