Raphinha fired 10-man Barcelona to a hard-fought 1-0 win over Benfica in their Champions League last-16 first leg on Wednesday.
The Catalan giants were reduced to 10 men when teenage defender Pau Cubarsi saw red midway through the first half with the score still goalless.
Despite the setback, Raphinha broke the deadlock in the 61st minute, drilling home to hand Barca a narrow advantage over Bruno Lage's side ahead of next Tuesday’s return leg.
Barcelona, chasing their first Champions League crown since 2015, are tipped for a deep run after landing what many consider a favorable draw.
Hansi Flick, however, warned before kickoff that no tie is ever “easy,” and Benfica made sure to prove him right in a tense night in Lisbon.
"I'm very proud," the German coach said after his team emerged with a victory.
Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny endured two high-profile mistakes against Benfica in the group stage in January but made amends with a string of saves as Barca were pinned back in the final half-hour.
Szczesny made a smart save to deny Benfica's Kerem Aktürkoğlu after just a few seconds, and the opening stages suggested both sides were picking up where they left off in Barcelona’s wild 5-4 win in Lisbon.
"The last time, I don't think (Szczesny) left here very happy," Barcelona midfielder Pedri said.
"He saved a lot (tonight), one at the start where if they score, you start the game on a bad footing. Between the sticks, he's a big presence, and it's great to have him."
Dani Olmo fired narrowly wide at the other end as Barca threatened before Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin produced a stunning triple save to keep the score level.
The Ukrainian first parried Olmo’s prodded effort, then made a brilliant reaction stop to thwart Robert Lewandowski from point-blank range before mopping up Lamine Yamal’s attempt on the rebound.
Barcelona suffered a setback when 18-year-old center-back Cubarsi was sent off after 22 minutes.
The Spaniard scythed down Benfica striker Vangelis Pavlidis, who scored a hat trick in the group match, as he ran through on goal.
Szczesny saved Orkun Kökçü’s drive from the free kick, with Flick sacrificing Olmo for defender Ronald Araujo to steady the ship.
The Polish goalkeeper, brought out of retirement by Barcelona after Marc-André ter Stegen suffered a severe knee injury in September, also made a fine reaction save to keep out Aktürkoğlu’s header before the break.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, Flick’s Barcelona held their ground at the Estadio da Luz.
Szczesny made another crucial stop to deny Pavlidis before Raphinha broke the deadlock.
After Flick replaced Yamal early in the second half with Ferran Torres, Raphinha pounced on a loose ball high up the pitch and fired a low, deflected shot past Trubin from distance.
It was his ninth goal in nine Champions League games, with the forward in the form of his career.
Barcelona defended frantically in the final stages as Benfica pressed for an equalizer.
The hosts thought they had won a penalty when Szczesny brought down Andrea Belotti, but an offside in the buildup saw the decision overturned, allowing Barcelona to hold on.
"Today we knew how to defend," Pedri said.
"After the red card, we knew exactly what to do – stay together at the back, defend as a block and take advantage of our chances with the players we have up front."
