Barcelona's Champions League campaign could end at the group stages for the first time in two decades after a 3-0 defeat away at Benfica piled more pressure on Ronaldo Koeman.
2021/2022 UEFA Champions League
3-0
Match Report
The Catalans crumbled in Lisbon, as a Darwin Nunez brace and a goal from Rafa Silva clinched a famous win for Benfica.
The defeat leaves the five-time European Cup winners bottom of Group E with zero points after they were humbled at home by Bayern Munich 3-0 a fortnight ago.
Koeman now faces the prospect of becoming the first Barcelona manager to fail to qualify for the knockout stage of the Champions League since Lorenzo Serra Ferrer 20 years ago.
The Dutchman, who is the first Barcelona manager to lose both the opening games of a Champions League campaign, can have no complaints, for his team were abject on the night.
Barcelona failed to register a single shot on goal and finished with 10 men after Eric Garcia was sent off for a second bookable offence late in the game.
Benfica, on the other hand, were rampant. Nunez opened the scoring just three minutes in, breezing past Garcia as he cut in from the left, before beating Marc-Andre Ter Stegen at the near post.
Nunez added a second from the spot with just over 10 minutes left in the game. But by then, there was already no way back for Barca.
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
2' GOAL! Benfica 1-0 Barcelona (Nunez)
5' Yaremchuk's shot stopped
11' L.de Jong's shot stopped
18' Pedri's long shot wide out
27' Depay's shot wide out
33' Pique replaced by Gavi
48' Otamendi's long shot stopped
53' CHANCE! Nunez hits the post
57' CLOSE! L.de Jong hits the post
61' Yellow Card! Grimaldo booked
68' GOAL! Benfica 2-0 Barcelona (Rafa Silva)
79' Penalty Goal! Benfica 3-0 Barcelona (Nunez)
86' Second Yellow Card! Eric Garcia sent off
Line-ups
Benfica XI: Vertonghen, Otamendi, O. Vlachodimos, Álex Grimaldo, Mario, R. Yaremchuk, Lazaro, Rafa Silva, Weigl, Lucas Verissimo, D. Núñez
Subs: Taarabt, Pizzi, André Almeida, Meite, Helton Leite, Gilberto, Radonjic, Éverton, Rodrigo Pinho, Gedson Fernandes, Gonçalo Ramos, Morato
Barcelona XI: Pique, Busquets, Luuk de Jong, Ter Stegen, Roberto, Depay, De Jong, Ronald Araujo, Eric Garcia, Dest, Pedri
Subs: Coutinho, Neto, Umtiti, Lenglet, Pena, Riqui Puig, Óscar Mingueza, Nico González, Fati, Y. Demir, Gavi