Benfica heap more misery on Barca with emphatic 3-0 win
Benfica dealt Barcelona a second consecutive 3-0 defeat in the Champions League on Wednesday, leaving the beleaguered Blaugrana in last in Group E and manager Ronald Koeman in a desperate battle to keep his job.
The result confirmed Barcelona’s worst start to a European campaign since the 1972-73 season, when the Catalan giants suffered back-to-back losses to FC Porto in the first round of the UEFA Cup.
Barcelona are also winless in their last five Champions League matches dating back to last season, having been outscored 14-2 over that spell.
| Team | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bayern Munich | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 6 |
| Benfica | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| Dynamo Kiev | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| Barcelona | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
Darwin Nunez scored twice at the Estadio da Luz, including an early stunner in the third minute and a second-half penalty. Rafa Silva, who drew a standing ovation, added another to seal a comprehensive victory.
Barcelona ended the night with 10 men after defender Eric Garcia was sent off for a second bookable offense in the 87th minute.
“We’re in a critical situation,” midfielder Sergio Busquets told Movistar+ after the match.
Koeman’s future at the club was already hanging in the balance prior to kickoff on Wednesday. The Dutchman was banned for two matches after arguing with officials in last week’s goalless draw against Cadiz, and Barcelona seemed to play better without him on the touchline, scoring an easy 3-0 win over Levante on Sunday.
But they offered little competition against Benfica, who extended their unbeaten run to 13 matches.
