Goalkeeper Trubin’s last-gasp header sends Benfica into playoffs, joins Enyeama

Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scored a dramatic 98th-minute header to secure a 4-2 victory over Real Madrid and propel Jose Mourinho’s side into the UEFA Champions League play-offs.

With Benfica facing elimination on goals scored despite leading late on, a final free-kick offered one last opportunity.

Trubin was sent forward and timed his run perfectly, powering a header past Thibaut Courtois to spark wild celebrations at the Estadio da Luz.

The result marks Mourinho’s first win against his former club and completes an unlikely qualification for Benfica, who had lost their opening four league-phase matches.

Real Madrid, meanwhile, slipped from third to ninth and will also contest the play-offs, with a potential rematch against Benfica now possible.

Madrid had taken the lead through a Kylian Mbappé header, but Benfica responded swiftly as Andreas Schjelderup equalised after Vangelis Pavlidis capitalised on a defensive error. Pavlidis then converted a penalty just before half-time to put the hosts ahead.

Schjelderup struck again early in the second half to extend Benfica’s lead, before Mbappé pulled one back to set up a tense finish.

Late red cards for Raúl Asencio and Rodrygo reduced Madrid to nine men, but the decisive moment came in stoppage time with Trubin’s extraordinary intervention.

Trubin now joins an exclusive list of goalkeepers to have scored in the Champions League, alongside Hans-Jörg Butt, Sinan Bolat, Vincent Enyeama and Ivan Provedel.