BARCELONA: Lamine Yamal and Raphinha dazzled as Barcelona thumped Benfica 3-1 on Tuesday, reaching the Champions League quarter-finals 4-1 on aggregate.
Raphinha netted either side of a stunning Yamal strike as the Catalans dominated in the first half, building on their 1-0 last 16, first leg win in Lisbon.
Nicolas Otamendi had quickly levelled Raphinha’s opener but the visitors were blown away at the Olympic Stadium as Barcelona progressed comfortably from the tie and produced some moments of brilliant attacking football.
Hansi Flick’s side will face Borussia Dortmund or Lille in the quarter-finals as they aim to win the competition for the first time since 2015 and the era of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez.
“We are candidates to win everything,” Raphinha told Movistar, with the club in the hunt for a potential treble.
“For me the most important thing is what we did as a team and I am very happy with this victory,” he continued, before praising teenager Yamal.
“His goal was spectacular, it shows what Lamine is — he’s a spectacular player with tremendous quality.”
Flick said Barca would play for late club doctor Carles Minarro, who died suddenly on Saturday ahead of the team’s match against Osasuna, which was postponed, and the players observed a silence in his honor before kick-off.
“What happened made us arrive at this game even more determined to win,” added Raphinha.
Five-time Champions League winners Barca took the lead after 11 minutes when Spain international Yamal burst into the area, chopped his way past Florentino and then mishit the ball across to Raphinha for a simple finish.
Benfica levelled within two minutes when Otamendi escaped Ronald Araujo to head home from a corner.
Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny excelled in the first leg as the Catalans claimed an impressive win with 10 men after Pau Cubarsi’s red card, but might have done more to keep out Otamendi’s effort.
However Barcelona, and particularly their wingers Yamal and Raphinha, were in sensational form and they quickly reclaimed their lead.
Yamal netted his first goal in seven matches, but it was worth the wait, with the 17-year-old cutting in from the right and arcing a sensational shot past Anatoliy Trubin and in at the far post from the edge of the box.
Raphinha grabbed his second before the break to give Barcelona a three-goal aggregate lead after a blistering run by Alejandro Balde.
The left-back won the ball back in his area and sliced open the Portuguese team on the counter, carrying it to the edge of Benfica’s area before teeing up Raphinha.
It was the winger’s 11th strike of the competition and he leads the scoring charts.
Bruno Lage’s side were without injured midfielder Angel Di Maria but even with him beating Flick’s Barca on this form would have been a difficult ask.
Fredrik Aursnes netted for Benfica in the second half but the goal was disallowed for offside against Vangelis Pavlidis, who scored a hat-trick as Barca won 5-4 in their first meeting this season, in the league stage in January.
For the most part Benfica struggled to trouble Szczesny, and Barcelona came close to scoring a fourth when Frenkie de Jong poked wide on the stretch at the end of a razor-sharp team move.
Barcelona now await their quarter-final opponent and can start preparing to visit Atletico Madrid in La Liga on Sunday, in a huge clash in the Spanish title race.
Yamal, Raphinha fire Barca past Benfica into Champions League last eight
https://arab.news/2qcg7
Yamal, Raphinha fire Barca past Benfica into Champions League last eight
- Hansi Flick’s side will face Borussia Dortmund or Lille in the quarter-finals
- “We are candidates to win everything,” Raphinha told Movistar, with the club in the hunt for a potential treble
Saudi cricketers hail learning experience during this year’s ILT20 season
- The tournament, which concluded on Jan. 4 with Desert Vipers lifting the title at Dubai International Stadium, saw Saudi players compete in high-performance environments
- Trained under renowned international coaches, experience they say will be taken back home to support the continued growth of cricket in the Kingdom
LONDON: Saudi Arabian cricketers have spoken of the invaluable learning and exposure gained during International League T20 this year, after featuring across six franchises alongside some of the world’s leading players.
The tournament, which concluded on Jan. 4 with Desert Vipers lifting the title at Dubai International Stadium, saw Saudi players compete in high-performance environments and train under renowned international coaches — experience they say will be taken back home to support the continued growth of cricket in the Kingdom.
Desert Vipers’ Faisal Khan, Saudi Arabia’s leading T20I run-scorer with 1,743 runs in 61 matches, said the experience had been a major step forward in his career.
“It is a great opportunity to be part of a franchise like Desert Vipers, and I consider myself lucky to be here. I am learning a lot from the coaches and senior players, and the experience at this level is very different,” he said.
“Playing alongside top players teaches you how to take the game to the next level and how to finish matches. I would also like to thank the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation for this opportunity, and I will continue to work hard and improve.”
Gulf Giants bowler Ishtiaq Ahmed, Saudi Arabia’s leading T20I wicket-taker with 69 wickets in 51 matches, highlighted the impact of working with elite coaches.
“This has been a very good opportunity for me and for players from the region. We are learning a great deal from the coaches and from senior players,” he said.
“Shane Bond is our bowling coach, he has been a fantastic bowler for New Zealand, and I am getting a chance to learn from him, and he helps us in whatever way he can. I also get along very well with Rahmanullah Gurbaz. It has been a good step for us and for Saudi cricket, and a very good experience overall.”
Sharjah Warriorz all-rounder Abdul Salman Khan said the learning environment had delivered immediate results.
“I was very excited from the first day we joined the camp. Experienced figures like JP Duminy (head coach) and Adil Rashid made us feel welcome and helped us learn, and we are already seeing positive changes in our game,” he said.
“Training and competing with Sikandar Raza has been especially enjoyable and challenging. Battling with him pushes you to raise your level, and it’s an experience we hope to pass on to younger players in the future.”
Dubai Capitals’ Usman Najeeb also highlighted the importance of elite mentorship, adding: “I have learned a lot during my time here. I am proud to represent Saudi Arabia here. Training with experienced players has helped me improve, and I am grateful to Munaf Patel (team mentor) for his guidance on how I need to improve.”
He said: “I still have work to do, but I will keep pushing myself and implement everything I have learned to take Saudi Arabian cricket forward.”
MI Emirates’ Zain Abidin said the exposure would benefit domestic cricket back home.
“It has been a wonderful experience, and we are learning many new things that will help us when we return to Saudi Arabia and play our domestic cricket,” he said.
“Bowling to and interacting with the big players in the nets and in the dressing room has been very valuable. We constantly ask questions and take tips from them, and it is something we look forward to sharing with other players back home to help Saudi cricket grow,” he added.
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders wicketkeeper-batter Abdul Manan described working with head coach Dwayne Bravo as his standout moment of the season.
“I am grateful to the franchise and ILT20 for this opportunity, which has been an important step in my career. Training in different match situations has helped me gain valuable experience that will benefit me going forward,” he said.
“Working closely with head coach DJ Bravo has been special. Learning from someone I used to watch on television, and receiving guidance as a wicketkeeper-batter, has been both enjoyable and extremely valuable.”
