What was supposed to be a night of soccer turned into a spectacle of smoke and fire in the visitor section of the stadium. At halftime, Barça was comfortably leading (3-1), but in the stands, the match was being played differently. Dozens of Benfica fans lit flares, causing a fire that disturbed the rest of the audience.
The images quickly went viral on social media. UEFA, always strict in these cases, is already studying a possible sanction against the Portuguese club. It wouldn't be the first time they've done so.
In October, the Control and Disciplinary Committee punished several teams like Celtic, Legia Warsaw, IF Elfsborg, and Lille for similar incidents.
Repeat offenders: It already happened in the first leg
The most surprising thing is that this is not new. In the first leg in Lisbon, Benfica fans had already done the same. The referee, German Felix Zwayer, even had to stop the match because of the flares exploding in the sky of the Estádio da Luz.
To prevent incidents, Barcelona authorities had prepared a special security device. The police escorted the Portuguese fans upon their entry to Montjuïc. Even so, the image of flares lighting up the Catalan night couldn't be avoided.
An unstoppable Barça on the field
Beyond the controversy, Barcelona did their job on the field. Unlike the first leg, where Pau Cubarsí's expulsion left everything open, this time Hansi Flick's team was far superior.
Benfica managed to equalize after the first Barça goal, but it was only a mirage. At halftime, Barça already had the match under control with a clear 3-1. The Barça team was the first to advance to the quarter-finals.
Exemplary punishment?
The big question now is: how will UEFA react? If they follow the line of previous sanctions, Benfica could receive a significant fine and even a partial closure of their stadium.
Lille paid 20,000 euros and suffered a partial closure of their stand for flares against Real Madrid. Something similar could happen with the Portuguese team, although we will have to wait for the Disciplinary Committee's resolution. For now, in Barcelona, they only talk about soccer and flares.