Anatoliy Trubin, Benfica’s Ukrainian goalkeeper, scored a stunning header in the 98th minute to give his team a 4-2 win over Real Madrid. This win put Jose Mourinho’s team into the Champions League playoffs on goal difference. The 24-year-old hero joined the attack on a late free kick and scored the winner, sending Estadio da Luz into a frenzy.
Trubin, who left Shakhtar Donetsk for Benfica in 2023 after Russia invaded Ukraine, wrote, “For Ukraine.” For those who know how to fight until the end, they took home the signed match ball. He thought about his first Champions League game, which was a 3-2 win for Benfica over Real Madrid in October 2020. He said that football’s timing was poetic after more than five years.
Benfica came in 24th with nine points from eight games, beating Marseille and Pafos by one goal. Vangelis Pavlidis scored a penalty kick before halftime, and Andreas Schjelderup scored a second goal. Kylian Mbappe scored two goals for Madrid. Mourinho said he was confused about needing the extra goal late on and praised the “historic” win.
