Victory more important than bad moments, says Barca goalie Szczesny

WARSAW, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- FC Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny admitted making a few mistakes in the Champions League match against Benfica but stressed "the more important thing is that the team took three points".

Barcelona booked its place in the last 16 of the competition after a dramatic 5-4 win away to Benfica after trailing 4-2 on Tuesday evening. Szczesny had a first half to forget as Vangelis Pavlidis scored a hat-trick in the opening 30 minutes.

In the 22nd minute the Pole smashed into Barca defender Alejandro Balde instead of clearing the ball, leaving Pavlidis to run through and score an open goal. The goalkeeper was then harshly penalized for bringing down Kerem Akturkoglu, with Pavlidis scoring from the penalty spot.

"In the first situation I shouted, but Balde didn't hear me. That misunderstanding looked a little ridiculous. However, in football it can happen. We were both close to the ball. Fortunately, the only consequence is a lost goal, not lost points," Szczesny told the Polish media on Wednesday.

"I can admit that a few minutes later I fouled a rival in the penalty area. On the pitch it seemed to me that there was no contact, but I saw the replay and according to me it should've been a penalty. However, three points are more important than these bad moments," the 34-year-old added.

"I felt very frustrated that we leveled the score and then we were still playing two at the back field. It's beautiful and it's part of Barcelona's playing culture, but I would be happy with a draw 4-4. After the final whistle, I'm exited that the offensive style helped us win the clash," Szczesny concluded. ■