Benfica crashed out of the Champions League in dramatic style despite securing a point against Barcelona at the Nou Camp on Wednesday.
Celtic's win over Spartak Moscow meant that Benfica had to secure all three points in Spain, but they missed a host of chances in the opening period.
The opportunities continued to fall in the second half, but the Portuguese outfit couldn't find the back of the net and they will now play Europa League football next season.
Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action between the two Group G rivals.
Match statistics:
Barcelona
Shots 8
On target 5
Possession 66%
Corners 3
Fouls 4
Benfica
Shots 13
On target 7
Possession 34%
Corners 3
Fouls 23
Was the result fair?
On the balance of play, you would have to say no. Benfica could and should have led at the interval and also had chances to win it in the second period. A youthful Barcelona side enjoyed the majority of the possession as you would expect, but the Spanish outfit would have had no complaints had they lost the match this evening.
Barcelona's performance
One shot on target in first half tells its own story. Their performance was certainly a lot better in the second period, but their much-changed side struggled to create any real opportunities of note. Their were certainly some positives, however, with Rafinha and Gerard Deulofeu impressing.
Benfica's performance
It is no exaggeration to say that Benfica could have been 4-0 ahead inside the opening 45 minutes of football. Barcelona had the majority of the possession, but the opportunities continued to fall for the away side. Their performance dropped somewhat in the second period, but they will never have a better chance of winning at the Nou Camp.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Nemanja Matic: The former Chelsea midfielder was star of the show this evening for the Portuguese outfit. His selflessness allowed those ahead of him to bomb forward as Benfica took control of the midfield battle.
Biggest gaffe
Benfica's finishing in the first period. Lima and Rodrigo both had golden chances to hand the away side the lead in the opening 30 minutes of football, but they simply could not find the back of the net.
Referee performance
Svein Moen had a solid 90 minutes of action this evening. The Norwegian allowed play to flow in the correct areas and was sensitive to the youth players on display. He is rightly considered as one of the brightest upcoming referees in European football.
What next?
Barcelona: The Catalan outfit will attempt to continue their remarkable start to their domestic campaign when they travel to Real Betis on Sunday evening.
Benfica: Benfica return to domestic action away to Sporting Lisbon on Monday as they attempt to keep pace with Porto at the top of the table.
Matt Law
