The meeting between Barcelona and Benfica in the group stage of the Champions League ended in 0-0 on Tuesday evening, partly due to Haris Seferovic. The attacker, who came on the field nine minutes before the end, had an imposed chance in the fourth minute of extra time to get the scoreboard moving, but much to the relief at the Camp Nou, he aimed the ball wide of the empty goal. Barcelona remain in the race to winter in the Champions League because of the miss, which went viral on social media.
“I’ve been a trainer for thirty years, but I’ve never seen anything like it,” Benfica coach Jorge Jesus acknowledged after the game. “Unfortunately, it happened to Benfica and to me.” Images show how the coach is indeed completely bewildered after Seferovic’s miss and goes to the ground full of disbelief. After all, the Swiss got rid of goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen with a bounce. and had an empty goal in front of him as Eric García flew in. Still, the attacker’s effort ended up wide of the left post.
Mega expensive miss by Haris Seferovic! ??
Barcelona and Benfica draw goalless, so that everything comes down to the final round ??Barca is 2 points ahead of Benfica and will visit Bayern, Benfica will receive Kiev… ??#ZiggoSport #UCL #FCBSLB pic.twitter.com/9IRivjNG9g
— Ziggo Sport Football (@ZS_Voetbal) Nov 23, 2021
“Even the keeper wasn’t in the goal anymore. Unfortunately this has happened, we can’t turn it back. Defensively we were good. In 94 minutes, Barcelona only had one or two real chances to score.” Nicolás Otamendi, who was denied a brilliant goal in the first half because the ball had crossed the goal line earlier, protected Seferovic. “We could have won, but we didn’t. Haris tried, the ball didn’t go in. That’s football.”
Due to the draw, Barcelona remains two points ahead of Benfica: seven to five. Bayern Munich is already certain of first place with fifteen points from five matches and a longer stay in the Champions League. Barcelona close the group stage with a visit to Bayern, while Benfica simultaneously takes on the already eliminated Dynamo Kiev. A draw in Bavaria is not enough for Barcelona if Benfica wins, as the Portuguese won the first game in Lisbon 3-0. The number three has been sentenced to participate in the Europa League tournament.