Going into Wednesday’s Champions League final round match, many experts stated that it would take a miracle for Benfica to progress. Well, a miracle is what the 60,000-plus at the Estádio da Luz witnessed as José Mourinho’s side pulled one of the great comeback stories this tournament has witnessed.
Benfica definitely deserved all three points, but as the seconds ticked down, it appeared as if three points would not be enough with the Eagles hovering just outside of the playoff qualifying spots.
It looked to be an insurmountable task when Kylian Mbappé gave the Spanish side an early lead against the run of play. The Eagles, however. were up for the challenge. Goals from Andreas Schjelderup and Vangelis Pavlidis saw the home side take a 2-1 lead into the half. Schjelderup recorded his second of the night in the 54th minute, but Mbappé responded four minutes later to keep the tie within touching distance.
Normally, Mourinho and Benfica would have been delighted to hang on to their one-goal lead and ensure a historic upset against the world's most decorated club. However, the way that results across Europe panned out, it became clear that a two-goal victory would keep the Eagles in the competition.
Benfica continued to push forward, and it was the unlikelyest of scorers, keeper Anatoliy Trubin, who connected with a free kick in the final minute to record Benfica’s fourth and send the home crowd into a frenzy. This was a truly historic night at the Luz, one filled with goals, cards, drama, high-level football, and a thrilling finish that the Lisbon club’s supporters will talk about for decades to come. More to come...
Lineups:
Benfica: Anatoliy Trubin, Amar Dedic, Nicolás Otamendi, Tomás Araújo, Samuel Dahl, Leandro Barreiro, Fredrik Aursnes, Georgiy Sudakov, Andreas Schjelderup, Gianluca Prestianni, Vangelis Pavlidis
Real Madrid: Thibaut Courtois, Dean Huijsen, Raúl Asencio, Álvaro Carreras, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Arda Güler, Fede Valverde, Jude Bellingham, Franco Mastantuono, Vinícius Júnior, Kylian Mbappé
Goals:
[1-0] Kylian Mbappé, 30'
[1-1] Andreas Schjelderup, 36’
[2-1] Vangelis Pavlidis, 45 (pen.)
[3-1] Andreas Schjelderup, 54’
[3-2] Kylian Mbappé, 58'
[4-2] Anatoliy Trubin, 90'
