Barcelona’s Emotional Champions League Victory: A Tribute to Team Doctor Carles Miñarro
In a poignant display of unity and determination, Barcelona forward Raphinha revealed that the recent passing of team doctor Carles Miñarro served as a powerful motivator for the team in their Champions League clash against Benfica on Tuesday. The Brazilian star, who has been in scintillating form this season, scored twice, bringing his season tally to 27 goals across all competitions. This performance helped Barça secure a 3-1 victory at the Olympic Stadium, advancing them to the quarterfinals with a 4-1 aggregate win.
The match took place under the shadow of Miñarro’s sudden death, which occurred just hours before Barcelona’s scheduled LaLiga game against Osasuna on Saturday. The game was postponed as a mark of respect. The cause of Miñarro’s death, at the age of 53, has not been officially disclosed, but his passing has clearly left a significant impact on the team.
“We came into this game even more determined to win after the passing of Carles,” Raphinha shared with reporters post-match, highlighting the emotional drive behind their performance.
Barcelona’s coach, Hansi Flick, echoed these sentiments, dedicating the victory to Miñarro. “I said before the match we wanted to honor the memory of Carles,” Flick stated during the post-game news conference. “After what happened, I think it’s good to win for him. Carles is always with us. It’s like that. He has always a place in our team.”
The atmosphere at the stadium was somber yet respectful, with the Spanish, Catalan, and Barça flags flying at half-mast. A minute’s silence was observed before kickoff, setting the tone for a match that was as much about remembrance as it was about competition.
Barcelona wasted no time in asserting their dominance, wrapping up the tie with three first-half goals. This victory extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to 17 games and secured their place in the last eight of the Champions League for the second consecutive season.
Raphinha opened the scoring early, capitalizing on excellent play from Lamine Yamal. However, Benfica’s Nicolás Otamendi quickly equalized from a corner. Yamal then restored Barça’s lead with a stunning individual effort, and Raphinha added a third goal just before halftime.
Coach Flick was full of praise for his team’s performance, particularly their control in the second half. “Benfica are a really good team. I knew they make good transitions, but we control the ball, we control the game, we were dominant,” he said. “This was good to see. I think we could score more goals, but we are happy that we are in the quarterfinal.”
Yamal’s goal was a historic one, making him the second youngest scorer in a Champions League knockout game at 17 years and 241 days old, just behind former Barça striker Bojan Krkic. The goal, a brilliant curling effort from the edge of the box, was his 12th of the campaign in all competitions and ended a seven-game goal drought.
“Great,” Flick commented on Yamal’s goal. “I think everyone was looking for this goal and it’s good for him, it gives him self-confidence. It was at the right time this goal happens. I am happy for him that he scored again.”
Despite the standout performances from Yamal and Raphinha, who now leads the Champions League scoring charts with 11 goals this season, it was midfielder Pedri who claimed UEFA’s MVP trophy. Flick was effusive in his praise for Pedri, saying, “He’s 100% fit and it’s good to see what he’s doing with the ball, but also without the ball is unbelievable. He’s in the right position at the moment and, for me, in this position, he’s the best in the world.”
Looking ahead, Barcelona will face either Borussia Dortmund or Lille in the quarterfinals. They also sit atop LaLiga with a game in hand and have advanced to the semifinals of the Copa del Rey.
- Barcelona’s unbeaten run: 17 games
- Raphinha’s season goals: 27
- Yamal’s age at goal: 17 years, 241 days
Raphinha is optimistic about the team’s prospects, stating, “We are candidates to win every competition. We knew that Benfica would come here strong, but we knew what we had to do to win the game and focused on that. We had the result in our favor from the first leg and did really well tonight, it was an especially good first half.”
Originally Written by: Sam Marsden
