Jose Mourinho’s late gamble pays off as his goalkeeper becomes an unlikely hero, sending Real Madrid tumbling.
In a moment of pure, unscripted drama, Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin charged forward in the 98th minute and scored a historic winning goal, sealing a 4-2 victory over Real Madrid on Wednesday and sending the Portuguese club and their fans into a state of delirium.
With the match deep into stoppage time and Benfica needing another goal to secure a knockout-round berth, coach Jose Mourinho made a stunning call. He locked eyes with his 24-year-old Ukrainian keeper and pointed toward the Madrid penalty box.
“I saw everyone telling me to go up. I also saw our coach, so I went up,” a bewildered Trubin said afterward. “I don’t know what to say. Crazy moment… I’m not used to scoring. Unbelievable.”
The gamble paid off spectacularly. From Fredrik Aursnes’s free-kick delivery, Trubin rose and powered a header into the net before being buried under a pile of ecstatic teammates. The goal secured the vital victory and goal difference Benfica needed, simultaneously knocking Mourinho’s former club, Real Madrid, out of the top eight and into the play-off round.
“I had no idea if 3-2 was enough,” admitted Mourinho, who celebrated wildly on the sideline. “When the free kick came, I sent Trubin up front. This victory is historic.”
Trubin’s header wrote him into the Champions League record books as only the fifth goalkeeper ever to score in the competition, and the first since 2023. His heroics capped a frantic finale that saw Madrid reduced to nine men with two late red cards.
Even Madrid’s goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, sought out Trubin after the final whistle to offer a smiling congratulatory hug—a universal nod to the sheer improbability and magic of the moment.
For Benfica, it was a night of prestige and triumph. For Trubin, it was the unforgettable first goal of his career, a header that turned him from a guardian of the net into the ultimate match-winner.
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