Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny had an excellent performance to help Barcelona defeat Benfica in the first leg of the 1/8 round of the 2024/25 C1 Cup.
Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny had an excellent game in the 1-0 win over Benfica, but he still believes he is not at his best since joining the Catalan club.
Barcelona faced a huge test when they were reduced to 10 men after young centre-back Pau Cubarsí was sent off. In that context, Szczesny became a solid support for the team, continuously making important saves to help the home team preserve the fragile victory. The Polish goalkeeper made a total of eight saves in the match, setting a new Barcelona record for the most saves in a Champions League match without conceding a goal.
After the match, Szczesny modestly commented on his performance: “My best game for Barca is yet to come. Yes, Pedri won the Man of the Match award, but I think I deserved half of it.” However, it cannot be denied that Szczesny’s brilliance was instrumental in helping his team secure all three points.
The 34-year-old goalkeeper also stressed the tactical factor after Barcelona had to play with a man down: “After the red card, we knew we couldn’t play as openly as before. We needed to be better defensively, play with discipline and limit the opponents’ counter-attacks as much as possible.” One of Szczesny’s most important saves came in the 25th minute, when he brilliantly blocked a dangerous shot from the Benfica striker, helping Barcelona maintain control of the game before Raphinha scored the decisive goal.
The win not only gave Barcelona an advantage heading into the second leg, but also proved Szczesny’s solidity in goal. Although he admits he is not at his best, his performance against Benfica confirmed that Barcelona can rely on the veteran goalkeeper in the important games ahead.
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