Benfica 4-2 Real Madrid: Trubin seals knockout spot as Los Blancos face playoff

Goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin produced remarkable heroics as he scored a 98th-minute header to send Benfica into the playoff round of the Champions League as they stunned Real Madrid 4-2.

On a night of incredible drama at Estadio da Luz, it was Trubin who proved the unlikeliest of heroes as headed home Fredrik Aursnes’ set-piece delivery to secure Benfica’s place in the final knockout spot at the expense of Marseille.

With a tall order in front of them to have any hope of continuing their Champions League adventure, Jose Mourinho’s men produced an excellent display against his former club, with former player Alvaro Arbeloa in the opposite dugout.

Kylian Mbappe had put Madrid ahead against the run of play, but Benfica turned things around in a pulsating first half through Andreas Schjelderup and a Vangelis Pavlidis penalty.

Schjelderup then made it 3-1 before Mbappe pulled one back, but the victory looked destined not to be enough with seconds remaining, as Benfica appeared set to fail to find the all-important fourth goal despite Raul Asencio and Rodrygo seeing red for Madrid.

But it was Trubin who stunningly had the final say, his goal sending Mourinho and the home crowd into raptures and setting up a playoff against either Inter Milan or Madrid.

Benfica produce first-half turnaround

While Madrid dominated possession early on, Benfica created the better early openings and Thibaut Courtois was forced to perform heroics to turn Gianluca Prestianni’s curling effort onto the crossbar.

Arda Guler then fired wide from long range at the other end, before Denis Sudakov crashed a near-post effort against the post from a tight angle as Benfica saw another opportunity go begging.

The hosts were punished for their profligacy, with Mbappe adding to his ever-burgeoning Champions League tally with an emphatic far-post header from Raul Asencio’s cross.

Yet Benfica were quick to respond and levelled with a goal that was close to a carbon copy of Madrid’s opener, Schjelderup meeting a looping cross from Pavlidis and nodding through the legs of Courtois.

Schjelderup then saw an effort cleared off the line by Federico Valverde, but Benfica did complete the turnaround from the penalty spot, Pavlidis firing straight down the middle after Aurelien Tchouameni brought Otamendi down by the shirt.

Trubin secures progression after Real Madrid meltdown

Things got even worse for Madrid when the excellent Schjelderup cut in from the left and fired a rapsing low effort beyond Courtois to double his tally.

Yet Madrid’s response was instanteous, Mbappe halving the deficit with a first-time finish after being found by Guler, with Jude Bellingham then wasting a chance to level matters when he blazed over at the near post.

Courtois produced a stunning save to deny Pavlidis as Benfica sought the goal to extend their Champions League campaign, yet it looked as if it would prove beyond them even after Asencio saw red for a rash challenge on Schjelderup and Rodrygo was given his marching orders late in injury time, receiving two yellows for successive showings of dissent.

But there would be one, final, unbelievable twist in a bewitching tale as Trubin rose highest to meet Aursnes’ perfect right-wing delivery and secure a result that will go down as one of the most memorable in Benfica’s storied European history.