GOALKEEPERS were the pantomime villains in their nine-goal thriller between Barcelona and Benfica.
The European giants went head to head in their penultimate Champions League league phase games of the season when the Catalan club scored THREE goals in the last 20 minutes to win 5-4.
Wojciech Szczesny came out of retirement in October to seal a deal with Barcelona amid their goalkeeping crisis, but manager Hansi Flick might have felt his side would have been better served without the Polish international bothering.
The former Arsenal and Juventus shot-stopper had a calamitous first half between the sticks as he dropped two clangers to concede a first-half hat-trick from Vangelis Pavlidis.
There was nothing Szczesny could have done about Pavlidis' opener, but his second and third were almost entirely down to the Pole.
Just nine minutes after Robert Lewandowski had levelled the scores for Barcelona to 1-1, Szczesny inexplicably came charging out of his area to greet a "loose" ball played over the top by Nicolas Otamendi.
Instead, he clumsily clattered into his own defender Alejandro Balde, completely wiping out the left-back and allowing Pavlidis to score the easiest goal he'll ever score as he ran through on an open net.
The third was just as much Szczesny's fault too as he came charging off his line once again, this time sliding at the feet of Benfica winger Karem Akturkoglu and bringing him to the ground inside the area for an undeniable penalty.
Pavlidis converted the spot-kick and Benfica were 3-1 up inside 30 minutes.
But the action didn't stop there with the second half throwing up even more goals, drama... and goalkeeping howlers.
In fact, Benfica keeper Antoliy Trubin made perhaps the worst goalkeeping mistake of the game after the break.
Trubin tried to play the ball out of his own box after making a save from a long-distance Gavi effort and got the whole thing horribly wrong.
The Ukrainian goalkeeper hit his clearance straight into the head of Barca's Raphinha, seeing the ball bounce right off the Brazilian's head and into the back of the net.
Trubin could have tried that 100 more times and wouldn't have hit him, but the freak moment gave Barcelona a way back into the game and had TNT Sports' commentator Ian Darke asking: "Have you ever seen a goal like that?"
Despite Benfica managing to go up the other end and force a Ronald Araujo own goal just four minutes later to go 4-2 up, Barcelona's freak goal had given them a spark to fight back in the game.
Goals from Lewandowski, Raphinha and Eric Garcia did just that as the Spanish giants turned it around to score their winner in the 96th minute of the clash.
All-in, the match had three penalties, nine goals, an own goal, three calamitous goalkeeper errors, six bookings, a hat-trick hero and ended with Barcelona sealing their spot in the next round of the competition.
Roeainpt
0
a
Ashrafbasra
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Benfica got robbed
Explain the reason they got robbed not just talking nonsense
Lennor225
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Benfica got robbed
How explain
Cusabkmns
1
Benfica got robbed
you robbed them.
reheilnouy
1
ks
buzcdeimpr
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When I hear people compare this guy to Pena I laugh
Caheklpsty
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why
Blaqpablo
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They claim Raphinha as Ballon d or favorite while he is bottling Laliga and 7 points behind top and be 3rd
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Who is talking about treble...he has a trophy
ALEXANDERSALEKXZ10
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They claim Raphinha as Ballon d or favorite while he is bottling Laliga and 7 points behind top and be 3rd
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Just Wait until you are Shocked 😂😂
AbdulZaks008
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And has qualified for the KO stage of the UCL won one trophy already and has 22 goals and 10 assist already better than all your forwards
Spanish super cup trophy, Not included for treble in spain
Mascot08
1
did he Top scorer and top playmaker in his league?
Second top scorer in laliga and second in champions league
Blaqpablo
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They claim Raphinha as Ballon d or favorite while he is bottling Laliga and 7 points behind top and be 3rd
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And has qualified for the KO stage of the UCL won one trophy already and has 22 goals and 10 assist already better than all your forwards
Verissimo3
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Benfica got robbed
AbdulZaks008
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Huh he has one trophy
did he Top scorer and top playmaker in his league?
Biedekmpyz
1
Sczesny must be benched every game as long as we have another goal keeper.
Mascot08
1
They claim Raphinha as Ballon d or favorite while he is bottling Laliga and 7 points behind top and be 3rd
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Huh he has one trophy
whoknowstommorrow
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so who won!😷
AbdulZaks008
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But Outperforming Salah, That’s The Most Important Thing 🤡😂
ok
GaddafiJamal
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They claim Raphinha as Ballon d or favorite while he is bottling Laliga and 7 points behind top and be 3rd
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But Outperforming Salah, That’s The Most Important Thing 🤡😂
AbdulZaks008
2
They claim Raphinha as Ballon d or favorite while he is bottling Laliga and 7 points behind top and be 3rd
SanLorenzo7
3
what a Match... what a night... fcbarcelona all the way