Barcelona celebrated a bittersweet victory on Tuesday, defeating Benfica 3-1 at the Olympic Stadium in a match that began with a solemn tribute and ended with jubilant chants for their Brazilian star.
The evening started with a minute of silence honoring team doctor Carles Miñarro, who passed away unexpectedly over the weekend, and concluded with fans calling for Raphinha to win the Ballon d'Or after his brilliant two-goal performance.
"I said before the match we wanted to honor the memory of Carles," coach Hansi Flick stated in the postgame news conference. "After what happened, I think it's good to win for him. Carles is always with us. It's like that. He will always have a place in our team."
Miñarro had been with Barcelona for eight years, joining the first team's staff just last summer. His sudden death at the team hotel on Saturday led to the postponement of the LaLiga match against Osasuna. While the cause of death has not been officially announced, the impact on the team was profound. Most of Barcelona's squad attended a wake for Miñarro on Monday, with his funeral taking place the morning of the Benfica match, attended by club president Joan Laporta and injured goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen.
The team channeled their emotions into a spectacular performance that secured their place in the Champions League quarterfinals with a 4-1 aggregate victory. Barcelona will face either Borussia Dortmund or Lille in the next round.
"We came into this game even more determined to win after the passing of Carles," Raphinha told reporters afterward.
That determination manifested early when Lamine Yamal's fancy footwork bamboozled two defenders to set up Raphinha's opener in the 11th minute. Though Nicolás Otamendi briefly equalized with a header from a corner, Barcelona's response was swift and stunning. Yamal collected the ball on the right, cut inside, and unleashed an unstoppable left-footed strike reminiscent of his goal for Spain against France in last summer's European Championship semifinals.
At just 17 years and 241 days, Yamal became the second-youngest player to score in the Champions League knockout stages, behind only Bojan Krkić, who was watching from the stands as part of Barcelona's backroom staff.
The young phenom has now accumulated 12 goals and 17 assists across all competitions this season—impressive numbers that are nevertheless overshadowed by Raphinha's remarkable campaign. The Brazilian winger netted his second goal of the night just before halftime, finishing a rapid counterattack after being set up by Alejandro Balde.
Raphinha now has a competition-leading 11 goals in 10 Champions League matches, the most by any Brazilian in a single tournament edition. His total tally for the season stands at an astonishing 46 goals across all competitions, with many coming in crucial matches: three against Real Madrid, a hat trick versus Bayern Munich, one against Borussia Dortmund, and five over three encounters with Benfica. This remarkable output dwarfs the 20 goals he managed during his entire first two seasons with Barcelona.
Barcelona's offensive firepower extends beyond Raphinha and Yamal. Robert Lewandowski has contributed 34 goals this season, helping the team amass a staggering 128 goals across all competitions—more than any other club in Europe's top five leagues. Paris Saint-Germain ranked second with 108 goals prior to Tuesday's match against Liverpool.
Yet despite these impressive attacking numbers, midfielder Pedri might be Barcelona's true MVP. He delivered another masterclass performance against Benfica, earning UEFA's MVP trophy after a second half characterized by Barcelona's relentless pressing and composed possession.
"He's able to win the ball," Flick observed. "I am also really surprised about that, but he's 100% fit and it's good to see what he's doing with the ball, but also without the ball is unbelievable."
Flick added, "He's in the right position at the moment and for me, in this position, he's the best in the world."
The emotional significance of the victory wasn't lost on Pedri. "It has been a complicated few days after what happened on Saturday," he told reporters. "We want to send all our support to Carles' family and friends. We will try and win everything for him."
That tribute of "winning everything" appears increasingly possible. Barcelona currently lead LaLiga with a game in hand, have reached the Copa del Rey semifinals, and have now advanced to the Champions League quarterfinals. They've already secured the Spanish Supercopa and remain unbeaten in 17 matches since the start of 2025.
The team's strength extends throughout the squad. Dani Olmo has returned to fitness, Frenkie de Jong has regained his confidence, Alejandro Balde is in excellent form, and Jules Koundé provides consistent performances. At center back, Pau Cubarsí, Ronald Araújo, and Iñigo Martínez offer dependable options, while goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny remains undefeated since joining in January.
This accumulation of evidence made it impossible for Raphinha to deny that Barcelona are "candidates to win every trophy" this season, though Flick remains characteristically measured.
"I think it's good that the players think about that," he said of Raphinha's ambitious statement. "It shows they have the confidence and they believe in what we are doing. But my job is to stay calm and think about the next match."
As Barcelona continue their quest for multiple trophies, they do so carrying the memory of their fallen team doctor—turning grief into determination and honoring Miñarro with each victory.
