Barcelona are hoping for a positive result in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie against Benfica, but doing so will be difficult now as they have been reduced to 10 men in the opening stages at the Estadio da Luz.
Pau Cubarsi spoke pre-match of his dream to win the Champions League, but his red card will make it more difficult for Barcelona to come through this tie. After 22 minutes, he has been dismissed for a last man challenge on Benfica striker Vangelis Pavlidis.
BARCELONA DOWN TO 10 MEN! 🟥
Pau Cubarsi is sent off for a challenge on Vangelis Pavlidis outside the box
đź“ş @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/yiDocQTxEm
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 5, 2025
Red Card to Pau Cubarsipic.twitter.com/odYQ3kTKNd
— CFC Plays (@CFCplays) March 5, 2025
Pau Cubarsà sees a straight red after a challenge on Vangelis Pavlidis 🟥 pic.twitter.com/PCFSKbZ6el
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) March 5, 2025
It is a horrible moment for Cubarsi. He claimed that he touched the ball, but replays showed by he took away Pavlidis’ legs before doing so – as such, a red card was inevitable.
It is the second time that a Barcelona player has been sent off in the Champions League this season, after Eric Garcia’s dismissal against AS Monaco on MD1 of the league phase. For Hansi Flick’s side, this could now be about damage limitation in Lisbon.