Alexis scored Barcelona’s first goal at Da Luz

On 2 October 2012, Alexis scored Barcelona’s first goal at Da Luz, Benfica’s stadium, in a Champions League match that Tito Vilanova’s side won 0-2. Barcelona had never scored at the ground before that match. The two goals were nevertheless overshadowed by Carles Puyol’s serious injury.

Alexis put Barcelona ahead within the first six minutes. The move developed down Alba’s side before Messi set up the Chilean, who finished the chance. The second goal came in the second half: Cesc scored after an individual effort from Messi. Alexis Sánchez was therefore among the scorers in the 2012-13 Champions League match against Benfica.

Puyol dislocated his left elbow after landing badly from a jump at a corner. The injury cast a shadow over the evening despite Barcelona’s win. It was a cruel outcome for the defender, although the same fall could have injured another player. Mundo Deportivo described the incident as “shocking”.

The goal also mattered personally to Alexis: he had not scored for six months. As he left the dressing room, he said he was happy and wanted to “keep the confidence I gained”.

In his analysis, Francesc Aguilar described a Barcelona side playing its familiar long spells of possession and passing exchanges, while also catching the opposition out with balls behind the defence. He noted that Messi had moved a little deeper, making it harder for the Portuguese side to contain him. Aguilar also pointed to the absence of the suspended Luisao.

The win at Da Luz belongs to a different period from Barcelona’s current Liga record. The club sits top with 27 points after nine matches, all of them wins, and has scored 39 goals while conceding nine. It has also won its last five Liga matches.