In an extraordinary climax to the Champions League group stage, Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin authored one of European football’s most dramatic moments with a stoppage-time header that eliminated 15-time champions Real Madrid while salvaging his team’s continental campaign.
The defining moment unfolded deep into added time at Estadio da Luz with Benfica clinging to a 3-2 lead. Despite the advantage, mathematical elimination loomed until the Ukrainian goalkeeper’s unprecedented intervention. Sent forward for a final free-kick, Trubin connected perfectly with a bullet header that sparked pandemonium throughout the Lisbon stadium.
“A fantastic goal, a historic goal, a goal that nearly brought the whole stadium down,” declared manager José Mourinho, who secured his first victory against Real Madrid since returning to Benfica 25 years after his brief initial tenure. “For Benfica, it’s incredible prestige to beat Real Madrid.”
The victory proved particularly crucial given the tournament’s revamped league format, with 18 matches concluding simultaneously. Trubin’s goal propelled Benfica from elimination to the playoff round at Marseille’s expense, completely altering the competition’s landscape in the closing seconds.
The 24-year-old goalkeeper admitted initial confusion about the mathematical situation: “I didn’t understand what we needed. I see everyone start to point at me and I go. We need one more goal. I don’t know what to say—a crazy moment.”
The victory carries special significance for Mourinho, whose Benfica tenure had faced skepticism despite remaining unbeaten domestically. The Portuguese giants trail league leaders Porto by 10 points, making European success particularly valuable for the veteran manager.
The dramatic conclusion attracted attention throughout football, with Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola monitoring events closely. City needed Benfica’s victory to secure a top-eight finish, with Guardiola noting: “We didn’t know Benfica needed a goal to qualify. But it was good strategy for Jose to score the fourth goal!”
With Real Madrid finishing ninth and Benfica 24th in the league phase, statistical probability suggests a 50% chance of the teams meeting again in the playoff round. Alternatively, Benfica could face Inter Milan—the club where Mourinho achieved his historic treble in 2010.
Trubin’s goal places him among only five goalkeepers to score in Champions League history, creating an instant legend that might surpass even Mourinho’s renowned capacity for scripting dramatic narratives.