José Mourinho praised his Benfica squad following their 4-2 victory over Real Madrid, which secured their place in the Champions League knockout stage. He also acknowledged the near-miss regarding their goal difference which almost led to their elimination.
In a thrilling finish, goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scored a dramatic goal with a header in the 98th minute, improving Benfica’s goal difference to minus two, which allowed them to qualify for the knockout phase playoffs in 24th position with nine points, while Madrid failed to secure a top-eight finish.
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Benfica will face either Real Madrid again or Inter Milan—two of Mourinho’s former clubs—in the quest for a spot in the last 16, with the draw scheduled for Friday.
“I truly believe we deserved this win,” Mourinho told Movistar. “Kylian [Mbappé] had two chances and scored twice. For Benfica, it’s a tremendous honor to defeat Real Madrid. It’s fantastic.”
This season has proven challenging for Mourinho’s Benfica, who currently sit third in the Portuguese league and faced a rough start in the Champions League, losing their first four matches before ultimately securing a playoff position.
Mourinho revealed that as the game neared its conclusion, he and his team believed the 3-2 scoreline would suffice for advancement until they were informed they needed another goal.
“When I made the final substitutions with [Franjo] Ivanovic and [Antonio] Silva, I was told the score was enough, so I thought we could just defend,” Mourinho explained to Paramount+. “A moment later, I was informed we required one more goal, and I was unable to make further changes. It was a fortunate turn of events that led to the free kick, allowing us to send up our big guy [Trubin].”
Ivanovic and Silva were brought on in the 93rd minute, just before Trubin’s last-minute goal five minutes later.
The Ukrainian goalkeeper confessed to being equally confused before his crucial contribution. “I wasn’t sure what we needed,” he stated. “Then I saw everyone urging me to move up. I noticed our coach signaling, so I went forward into the box, and then… I don’t even know what to say. It was a crazy moment. I honestly don’t know what to say. I’m not used to scoring. I’m 24 years old, and this was my first time. Unbelievable.”
The playoff draw will occur in Nyon, Switzerland, at noon local time.
This report was contributed by the Associated Press.