LIVERPOOL, England — Barcelona’s dramatic comeback against Benfica on Tuesday night has delayed Liverpool’s confirmation as the winner of the league phase in this revamped Champions League format for another week.

Manager Arne Slot expressed his admiration for referee Danny Makkelie, who allowed a considerable amount of stoppage time during Barcelona’s thrilling 5-4 victory.

“I want to begin by acknowledging the referee’s performance in Lisbon,” Slot stated. “In my experience with football, I have usually seen around four minutes of injury time, followed by about three minutes of delays, and then a whistle at the four-minute mark. But this referee continued the game for a bit longer, which may not have favored us this time, but I appreciate that approach.”

Liverpool secured their place in the round of 16 with a 2-1 win against Lille at Anfield, and they were on track to claim the league title until Barcelona’s impressive turnaround at Estadio da Luz.

Benfica was ahead at various points, leading 3-1 and 4-2 during the match, before succumbing to last-minute goals from Eric Garcia in the 86th minute and Raphinha in the sixth minute of stoppage time.

Despite this setback for Liverpool, they maintain their lead at the top of the group, boasting a perfect record in this season’s elite European tournament. Barcelona follows closely in second place, just three points behind.

Liverpool’s final league match will be against PSV Eindhoven next week, while Barcelona is set to face Atalanta as the league phase approaches its conclusion.