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Benfica delivered a historic moment in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.
Already trailing 3-2 against Real Madrid, Benfica needed another goal to secure a place in the round of 16 of the tournament. The match was given an additional five minutes of stoppage time and was already in the eighth minute when chaos ensued.
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Anatoliy Trubin of Benfica celebrates his team’s fourth goal with a header during the MD8 match of the 2025/26 league stage of the UEFA Champions League between SL Benfica and Real Madrid CF at Estadio do SL Benfica on January 17, 2021. 28, 2026 in Lisbon, Portugal. (Octavio Passos/UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
Benfica was fouled near the Real Madrid goal and essentially had another chance to score. The free kick was perfectly placed in the box when Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin, who was in the box for extra support, slotted a header into the back of the net.
Trubin celebrated as he was mobbed by his teammates. Benfica, a club managed by José Mourinho, qualified for the round of 16 in 24th place in the tournament.
“I didn’t know what we needed. Then I saw everyone telling me to go up. I also saw our coach, so I went up, got in the box, and I don’t know… I don’t know what to say,” Trubin said. “Crazy moment. I don’t know what to say. I’m not used to scoring. I’m 24 and it’s the first time. Unbelievable.”
The goal also meant that Real Madrid, a club Mourinho previously managed, were knocked out of the top eight that automatically qualified for the knockout stages.
Benfica’s head coach Jose Mourinho celebrates the end of a Champions League opening phase soccer match between Benfica and Real Madrid, in Lisbon, Wednesday, January 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)
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“I didn’t know if 3-2 was enough, I had no indication. When the free kick came, I sent Trubin in front,” Mourinho said. “This victory is historic and important, even more so from a prestige point of view.”
Trubin became the fifth goalkeeper to score in the Champions League proper, according to UEFA. It was the first since Ivan Provedel scored for Lazio in a 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid in 2023.
“We knew he could do it,” Mourinho said. “We were losing to Porto a few weeks ago, and in the last minute he came on strong and almost scored. So we know this great player is capable of it. The quality of the serve, of course, is the most important thing. You have to put the ball there, but it’s an incredible goal for this guy.”
Benfica isn’t exactly a household name for fair-weather football fans.
Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham, left, vies for the ball with Benfica’s Fredrik Aursnes during a Champions League opening stage soccer match between Benfica and Real Madrid, in Lisbon, Wednesday, January 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)
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The Portuguese club competes in the Primeira Liga – the top tier of Portuguese professional football. It is currently third in its ranking and has not won its championship since the 2022-23 season. The club reached the round of 16 in the 2024-25 season.
