Brazilian forward Raphael Dias Belloli 'Raphinha', who scored the only goal in Barcelona’s 1-0 win over Benfica in Lisbon, admitted that his team had to "dig deep" to secure "a great result" in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16.

Raphinha found the net in the 61st minute, in a match where Barça played with ten men from the 22nd minute following Pau Cubarsí’s red card. "It’s impossible not to be exhausted because we had a plan before the game, and obviously, things changed after the red card," he told Movistar+.

Key to Victory: Focus and Efficiency

The Brazilian emphasized the team’s resilience in defense and their ability to capitalize on their chance. "We knew we had to suffer to get a positive result, and I think we handled it really well," he explained. He also praised goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny, who made eight crucial saves in one of his best performances for Barça. "I have him in my Fantasy team—pretty sure he got me a lot of points," Raphinha joked.