Yamal, Raphinha fire Barca past Benfica into Champions League last eight
BARCELONA: Lamine Yamal and Raphinha dazzled as Barcelona thumped Benfica 3-1 on Tuesday, reaching the Champions League quarter-finals 4-1 on aggregate. Raphinha netted either side of a stunning Yamal strike as the Catalans dominated in the first half, building on their 1-0 last 16, first leg win in Lisbon. Nicolas Otamendi had quickly levelled Raphinha’s opener but the visitors were blown away at the Olympic Stadium as Barcelona progressed comfortably from the tie and produced some moments of brilliant attacking football. Hansi Flick’s side will face Borussia Dortmund or Lille in the quarter-finals as they aim to win the competition for the first time since 2015 and the era of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez. “We are candidates to win everything,” Raphinha told Movistar, with the club in the hunt for a potential treble. “For me the most important thing is what we did as a team and I am very happy with this victory,” he continued, before praising teenager Yamal. “His goal was spectacular, it shows what Lamine is — he’s a spectacular player with tremendous quality.” Flick said Barca would play for late club doctor Carles Minarro, who died suddenly on Saturday ahead of the team’s match against Osasuna, which was postponed, and the players observed a silence in his honor before kick-off. “What happened made us arrive at this game even more determined to win,” added Raphinha. Five-time Champions League winners Barca took the lead after 11 minutes when Spain international Yamal burst into the area, chopped his way past Florentino and then mishit the ball across to Raphinha for a simple finish. Benfica levelled within two minutes when Otamendi escaped Ronald Araujo to head home from a corner. Barcelona goalkeeper
