In an exhilarating Champions League encounter, goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin secured a dramatic stoppage-time goal, leading Benfica to a 4-2 victory over Real Madrid and earning a spot in the play-off positions.
Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring, but his lead was short-lived as Andreas Schjelderup equalized. Moments before halftime, Vangelis Pavlidis netted a penalty, putting José Mourinho’s Benfica ahead.
Schjelderup scored again early in the second half, though Mbappé soon matched him by scoring his second goal of the night. Real Madrid’s night turned sour as they ended up with nine men due to red cards shown to Raúl Asencio and Rodrygo during stoppage time.
Trubin’s late header clinched Benfica’s place in the unseeded knockout rounds, finishing ahead of Marseille and Pafos by a single goal difference. Meanwhile, Real Madrid dropped to the seeded play-off positions after finishing ninth in the standings.
Real Madrid initially struggled with their defense, which allowed Mbappé to nod in a cross from Asencio around the half-hour mark. Despite this setback, Benfica’s Trubin denied another header before they equalized in the 36th minute, with Pavlidis assisting Schjelderup for a well-placed header.
The hosts continued to threaten, with Leandro Barreiro missing a header and Courtois saving a low strike from Amar Dedic. Benfica had an opportunity for a penalty when Jude Bellingham was penalized for fouling Gianluca Prestianni, although it was overturned after VAR review.
Benfica’s persistence paid off again when they were awarded a penalty just before halftime, with Aurélien Tchouaméni fouling Nicolás Otamendi, resulting in Pavlidis converting to give Benfica a 2-1 lead going into halftime.
In the second half, Schjelderup completed his brace in the 54th minute, only for Mbappé to respond quickly, bringing the score to 3-2. Trubin was tested throughout, making key stops to deny players like Güler and Rodrygo, while Courtois continued to save attempts from Barreiro.
As the match progressed, chaos ensued with Asencio receiving a second yellow in stoppage time followed by Rodrygo’s dismissal. However, Trubin’s late header from a Fredrik Aursnes free-kick showcased his goal-scoring prowess and sealed Benfica’s crucial win, allowing them to progress to the next round.