Estádio da Luz, Lisbon (Portugal): José Mourinho condemned his former club to a ninth‑place finish in the league phase as his Benfica side stunned Real Madrid 4‑2 in the Champions League on Wednesday.
A dramatic stoppage‑time header from goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin kept the Portuguese outfit alive in the competition.
It was Madrid’s third defeat of the campaign, and with Barcelona, Chelsea, Sporting Lisbon and Manchester City all winning, the Spanish giants slipped to ninth.
That position forces them into a two‑legged knockout play‑off if they are to advance further.
Benfica, meanwhile, clung to the playoff lifeline thanks to Trubin’s sensational 98th‑minute goal, which clinched the final qualification spot on goal difference.
Earlier, Kylian Mbappé struck twice, Andreas Schjelderup added a brace, and Vangelis Pavlidis converted from the spot for the hosts.
For José Mourinho—Madrid’s former coach between 2010 and 2013—it was a landmark win, his first against his old club on his second attempt since leaving them.
Benfica, lively from the outset, thought they had earned a penalty inside 15 minutes when Jude Bellingham bundled Gianluca Prestianni from behind.
The referee pointed to the spot, but VAR overturned the decision, ruling the England midfielder had played the ball.
Mourinho’s frustration deepened moments later when Prestianni carved space on the left and curled a superb effort that forced Thibaut Courtois to stretch his full frame to tip onto the bar.
Madrid finally stirred under the Lisbon rain in the 26th minute, Arda Güler flashing a fierce drive just wide. But Benfica failed to heed the warning, and Mbappé punished them on the half-hour with a clinical back-post header—his 12th Champions League goal of the campaign.
But next it was Madrid who were made to pay for over-confidence as the Portuguese side caught them desperately short on the counter six minutes after their opener.
Unexpected Twist
Raul Asencio was the lone navy shirt stranded in Madrid’s half as Benfica broke forward. Slipping helplessly on the turf, he watched Pavlidis glide past and whip in a cross for Schjelderup to nod home.
Moments later, Schjelderup squandered a golden chance to turn the game completely. Amar Dedić picked him out with the goal gaping, but Fede Valverde’s desperate block denied the Norwegian at the last second.
The home side eventually got the lead their performance deserved. Aurelien Tchouameni was penalised for a shirt pull on Nicolas Otamendi from a corner. Pavlidis stroked the resulting spot-kick straight down the middle five minutes into stoppage time.
Alvaro Arbeloa’s side got hold of the ball after half-time, but Benfica still posed a threat as Pavlidis won possession back high up the pitch, but fired straight at Courtois when well-placed.
Madrid continued to move the ball, but again Benfica won it back and sprang forward on 54 minutes, with Schjelderup this time supplying another clinical finish after cutting past Asencio on the edge of the box.
Rodrygo Goes replaced the ineffectual Franco Mastantuono in the immediate aftermath, and the Brazilian combined out wide with Guler to set up the unmarked Mbappe, who unerringly fired home from 15 yards in the 58th minute.
Georgiy Sudakov blasted wide after the ball fell to him in the visitors’ box with 20 minutes left, the tension mounting as Benfica’s knockout hopes swung with results across Europe.
Madrid’s late collapse to nine men—after dismissals for Asensio and Rodrygo—seemed to seal Benfica’s heartbreak, the Portuguese side marooned in 25th place on nine points, level with Marseille but trailing on goals scored.