Atlético de Madrid comes from behind and FC Barcelona wins in a maddening duel

In one of the most maddening and, at the same time, entertaining duels in recent memory in the UEFA Champions League, FC Barcelona pulled off the victory after coming from behind to beat SL Benfica in Lisbon (4-5) in the last minute of play. The Spanish team is now mathematically qualified for the next round.

Uncharacteristically, FC Barcelona got off to a bad start. By the 30th minute, the team coached by German Hansi Flick was already trailing 3-1. However, in the second half, the Spaniards, led by Pedri and Raphinha, stepped onto the field with a renewed sense of purpose and ultimately turned the game around.

"It was a crazy match... Benfica did well in the first half, although we made a lot of mistakes. The team's mentality was incredible, they believed in themselves, it was wonderful to see," Flick said at the post-game press conference.

Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha - both with a brace - and Éric García scored the Azulgranas' goals. For Benfica, Greek Vangelis Pavlidis scored a hat trick. The fourth goal was an own goal.

Atlético wins in final moment

The other Spanish team in action on the last matchday, Atletico Madrid, also managed to turn the score around in the final stages against Bayer Leverkusen (2-1), a team coached by former player Xabi Alonso.

The architect of Atlético de Madrid's comeback was Julián Álvarez. The Argentine shone and scored the two goals that gave the victory to the Spanish team, which started losing after the goal of Ecuadorian Piero Hincapie.

"When we thought of Julián, this is what we envisioned. He has incredible quality, and his future looks even brighter. Hopefully, as a coaching staff, we can help him maintain his humility, his drive, and his determination, which will secure him a great place at the club," said Atlético de Madrid's head coach, Diego Simeone.