Manager berating players, keeper howlers and controversial winner – was Benfica v Barcelona the game of the season?

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Raphinha scored a contender for strangest goal of the season and a stoppage-time winner as Barcelona battled back from 3-1 and 4-2 down to beat Benfica in the UEFA Champions League 5-4. However, that was not all. The epic encounter also saw Vangelis Pavlidis score a first-half hat-trick, two Robert Lewandowski penalties, a red card at the death and a Ronald Araujo own goal.

Highlights: Raphinha’s dramatic late winner sees Barca edge chaotic nine-goal affair

Video credit: TNT Sports

Raphinha scored a contender for strangest goal of the season and a 96th-minute winner to cap one of the craziest games in the history of the UEFA Champions League and help Barcelona beat Benfica 5-4.

The home side appeared to be heading towards a historic victory after Vangelis Pavlidis scored a first-half hat-trick to put his side 3-1 up, with Barcelona getting on the scoresheet through Robert Lewandowski's penalty.

However, Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin had a moment to forget as he set up Raphinha to score one of the strangest goals of the season.

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Trubin cannoned the ball directly into the forehead of Raphinha, and it rebounded off the Brazilian before flying directly into the back of the Benfica net, much to the amazement of TNT Sports commentators Ian Darke and Glenn Hoddle.

"Dear me, unbelievable, that is amazing," said Hoddle.

"That is an incredible goal. How much he was guiding it there I don't know.

'Have you ever seen a goal like that?' - Trubin's 'unbelievable' error gifts Barca a second

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"It has hit him full on the forehead there, and he is the only one who knows if he reacted to that and guided it there, or if it was just a fluke.

"He must have firmed his neck muscles very quickly, the instinct to head it, so we have to give him a little bit of credit, but I would like to see it again, I really would.

"Football never ceases to amaze you, all the passes and little balls Barcelona have tried to put through, and they score like that, it is unbelievable."

'Can you believe that?' - Raphinha scores last-gasp winner for Barca after Benfica howl for penalty

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The goal made the score 3-2 and gave Barcelona hope of cementing their place in the top eight of the league phase table.

'Singing in the rain'

Ian Darke recognised that Raphinha's bizarre opening goal was also a moment of immense joy for the Barcelona fanbase.

"Oh wow, what an extraordinary goal, giving Barcelona hope," added Darke.

"Trubin is absolutely kicking himself, my word, and they are singing in the rain the Barcelona fans about that because that changes a lot.

"Check this out, off Raphinha and in; have you ever seen a goal like that?"

All Angles: Every angle of Raphinha's incredible fluke goal from Trubin's clearance

Video credit: TNT Sports

Szczesny howlers

But it wasn't just Trubin who had a night to forget, Barcelona decided to go with Wojciech Szczesny in goal and the former Arsenal man was guilty of two terrible howlers.

First he came rushing out of his goal, clattering into his own defender and leaving an open goal for Pavlidis to tap in, before then giving away a penalty that allowed the Greek forward to complete his hat-trick.

A night to forget - Szczesny and Trubin combine for three astonishing errors

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Barca's hope appeared to have faded once again when Ronald Araujo's own goal restored Benfica's two-goal advantage, but Lewandowski scored his second penalty of the match to close the gap again.

Then, against all odds, Eric Garcia equalised, but it was not over yet.

Benfica went on the hunt for a fifth and decisive goal, and were arguably unlucky not to be awarded a stoppage-time penalty after a Benfica player appeared to be pushed in the box.

However, it was not given and Barcelona broke before setting up Raphinha to win it in the sixth minute of stoppage time.

Just to add one final twist to the tale, Benfica forward Arthur Cabral was shown a straight red card in the eighth minute of stoppage time.

Lage loses it as TNT Sports pundits hail 'crazy' game

The controversy, the goals and the goalkeeping errors were all too much for Benfica manager Bruno Lage, who added even more drama to the evening by giving his players an incredibly public dressing down.

The Benfica boss could be seen screaming at his players on the pitch after full-time as torrential rain poured down around him.

TNT Sports pundit Alan Hutton believes the dramatic finish in Portugal encapsulated everything that was good about the match.

'There's a clear push for me' - Hutton feels Benfica robbed at the death in crazy Barca win

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"This sums up the game for me, how crazy it was.

"That incident at one end – that's more of a penalty than the other ones in my opinion – and then to just break away and leave yourself open one against one.

"Raphinha, you know the quality he's got, cuts inside, good shot. The keeper could possibly do better."

Joleon Lescott echoed his fellow TNT Sports pundit's sentiments, admitting there was almost too much action to analyse.

"No way did we see that coming," he added.

'This game had everything' - Lescott reacts to Barcelona's historic 5-4 win

Video credit: TNT Sports

"The lack of quality defending we didn't see, but you can't predict that scoreline, you can't predict a game like that and the incidents involved.

"There's so much to talk about, you can dissect it any way you want.

"You can applaud the mentality of Barcelona to come back from that deficit, or you can criticise Benfica for letting it slide."

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