A sensational 98th-minute header from goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin proved decisive, propelling Benfica into the knockout play-off places on goal difference. The extraordinary finish capped a chaotic night at the Estádio da Luz and marked a landmark moment for head coach Jose Mourinho against his former club.
The defeat, Madrid’s third of the campaign, combined with victories for Barcelona, Chelsea, Sporting Lisbon and Manchester City, ensured Carlo Ancelotti’s side narrowly missed out on automatic qualification. As a result, Madrid will now contest a two-legged knockout play-off to remain in the competition.
Benfica, by contrast, welcomed the extra fixture after a performance defined by intensity, opportunism and late heroics. Earlier in the contest, Kylian Mbappe struck twice for the visitors, but the hosts responded through Andreas Schjelderup’s brace and a first-half penalty converted by Vangelis Pavlidis.
For Mourinho, who managed Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013, the victory represented his first success against the Spanish club since his departure, having previously failed to overcome them in earlier encounters.
The home side began brightly and thought they had earned an early penalty when Jude Bellingham challenged Gianluca Prestianni from behind. However, a VAR review overturned the decision after the England midfielder was deemed to have won the ball. Benfica continued to press, forcing Thibaut Courtois into action as Prestianni curled a dangerous effort onto the crossbar.
Madrid gradually grew into the game and took the lead on the half-hour mark, with Mbappe rising at the back post to head home his 12th Champions League goal of the season. The advantage was short-lived, though, as Benfica capitalised on a swift counter-attack, Pavlidis teeing up Schjelderup to restore parity.
The Norwegian forward missed a golden opportunity to put Benfica ahead shortly afterwards, but the hosts were rewarded just before the break when Aurelien Tchouameni was penalised for pulling Nicolas Otamendi at a corner. Pavlidis calmly dispatched the resulting penalty in first-half stoppage time.
Benfica continued to threaten after the restart and regained their lead on 54 minutes as Schjelderup cut inside and finished clinically. Madrid responded swiftly, with Mbappe completing his brace after being picked out by Arda Guler, setting up a tense finale as results elsewhere fluctuated Benfica’s qualification status.
The closing stages were marked by controversy and chaos. Real Madrid were reduced to nine men following late dismissals for Raul Asencio and Rodrygo, yet Benfica still appeared on the brink of elimination as they slipped to 25th in the live standings.
The atmosphere inside the Estádio da Luz exploded in injury time when Trubin surged forward for a free-kick and powered a header into the net, sealing qualification in the most improbable fashion and sending the home crowd into raptures.
The result underlined Benfica’s resilience on a dramatic European night, while leaving Real Madrid facing an unexpected and demanding route to the latter stages of the Champions League.