SL Benfica 4-4 Barça: Draw to end the group stage

A draw in Portugal as this final Champions League group stage ended Benfica 4-4 FC Barcelona, making it five wins out of six. It was an entertaining game to end this stage of the competition, both teams playing with some freedom as they were already through to the quarterfinals. The Catalans went 0-2 and then 2-3 up before coming back themselves to level up the game just before the final whistle. 

Four goals in the first 45 minutes

Barça came out strongly, looking for goals, hunting down Benfica. Graham Hansen was looking very lively and determined in particular, and she opened the scoring with a header from a Bronze cross. Just two minutes later, another cross from the right, this time by Graham Hansen, saw Patri Guijarro steer the ball into the net at the near post. 

Benfica showed they were in the game though, nice combination play leaving Alidou clear on goal to score past Gemma Font to make it 1-2 after 25 minutes. This seemed to spur on the Portuguese side, who pushed further up the pitch, and Alidou was there to head in a cross from the left to make it 2-2 just before half time.

Battle to the end and spoils shared

This match could clearly go either way at this point, but the blaugranes struck the next blow, Graham Hansen making it 2-3 eight minutes into the second half after a super cross to the far post from Mariona.

The joy was short-lived, however, as the Portuguese side kept pushing and a breakaway and a fine bit of skill set up Silva to score and equalise. Benfica now had the bit between their teeth and a corner saw Lucy Bronze score an own goal and suddenly it was 4-3.

This FC Barcelona side don't give up easily, though, and despite Pauels in the Benfica goal thwarting repeated blaugrana attempts, Lucy Bronze made up for the earlier own goal by scoring a thumping header from a corner by substitute Claudia Pina. The final whistle on this entertaining game came soon after and all that waits is to find out who the next opponents are for the Group A winners.

MATCH STATS

SL Benfica 4
Barça 4

SL Benfica: Pauels, Araujo, Ana Seiça (Costa, min 66), Ucheibe (Matilde Silva, min 90), Lucia Alves, Gasper, Andreia Faria (Paige Almendariz, min 75), Falcón (Catarina Amado, min 66), Alidou, Nycole Raysla (Lara Martins, min 75) and Jéssica Silva
Barça: Gemma Font, Ona Batlle (Ari, min 86), Engen, Marta Torrejón (Martina, min 86), Bronze, Patri (Pina, min 68), Keira Walsh, Aitana (Vicky López, min 68), Salma (Brugts, min 68), Mariona and Graham Hansen

Goals: 0-1, Graham Hansen (min 18); 0-2, Patri Guijarro (min 20); 1-2, Alidou (min 26); 2-2, Alidou (min 45); 2-3, Graham Hansen (min 54); 3-3, Jéssica Silva (min 71); 4-3 Lucy Bronze (own goal) (min 81); 4-4 Lucy Bronze (min 96)

Referee: Emanuela Rusta. Yellow cards for Ana Seiça (min 41) and Costa (min 70) from Benfica, and Ona Batlle from FC Barcelona (min 79)