Trubin Heads Benfica Into Champions League Knockouts After Madrid Meltdown
- A chaotic Champions League night in Lisbon saw Benfica stun Real Madrid 4-2, with a goalkeeper goal, red cards, and a ruthless display that sealed the hosts place in the knockout play off round.
This is exactly why the Champions League never disappoints. Under the bright lights of the Estadio da Luz, Benfica delivered one of the wildest nights of this European campaign, beating Real Madrid 4-2 in a match that had everything football lovers crave.
Real Madrid struck first against the run of play when Kylian Mbappe powered home a header in the 30th minute, briefly silencing the Lisbon crowd. Benfica, however, refused to panic. Six minutes later, Andreas Schjelderup rose unmarked to head in Vangelis Pavlidis cross and restore parity, igniting belief across the stadium.
The momentum stayed with the hosts and they were rewarded deep into first half stoppage time. Nicolas Otamendi was hauled down in the box, and Pavlidis calmly converted from the spot to give Benfica a deserved 2-1 lead at the break, a scoreline that barely reflected their dominance.
Nine minutes into the second half, Schjelderup struck again. The Norwegian winger glided past Raul Asencio and fired a low finish beyond Thibaut Courtois to make it 3-1, leaving Real Madrid chasing shadows. Mbappe once more tried to rescue his side, finishing clinically from Arda Guler cross in the 58th minute to cut the deficit and raise hopes of a comeback.
Those hopes quickly turned to frustration. Benfica stood firm, while Madrid lost their composure in the dying moments. Asencio was sent off for a reckless challenge, and moments later Rodrygo followed him down the tunnel after picking up two yellow cards for dissent.
With Madrid down to nine men, Benfica produced a moment that will live long in Champions League folklore. In the final kick of the match, goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin went forward for a free kick and met Fredrik Aursnes delivery with a thunderous header, sealing a stunning 4-2 victory and sending the Estadio da Luz into absolute chaos.
The numbers backed up the drama. Benfica finished with 2.99 expected goals compared to Madrid’s 1.50, underlining how deserved the win was. The result sends Mourinho’s side into the knockout play off round, while Real Madrid end the league phase in ninth place and face an anxious wait to see who they meet next.
On a night defined by belief, bravery, and beautiful madness, Benfica reminded the football world that the Champions League still belongs to moments like these.
