📸 Last-gasp goalkeeper goal, Real sink against Mourinho | OneFootball

This final matchday of the CL league phase was already one of superlatives before kickoff. 18 matches took place simultaneously! But the Champions League saved the absolute highlight for the very last scene of the last matchday. Of all teams, record winners Real Madrid were left empty-handed in many ways.

In the rain of Lisbon, the Royals were still fighting for a 3-3 equalizer against Benfica shortly before the end. That would have been enough for them to book a direct ticket to the round of 16. Kylian Mbappé and Co. were not exactly covering themselves in glory during this phase anyway. Raul Asencio and Rodrygo had already been sent off.

📸 FILIPE AMORIM - AFP or licensors

The nine remaining Real stars then had to watch not only as they slipped to ninth place in the league table and thus into the playoffs, but also as their opponents Benfica—coached by former Real coach José Mourinho—enjoyed a dream finish.

When his team was awarded a free kick deep into stoppage time in the opponent’s half, "The Special One" clearly let his boys know: Everyone forward, if we score, we’ll make it to the playoffs!

So keeper Anatoli Trubin also rushed into the opponent’s penalty area, and what had to happen, happened. The Ukrainian goalkeeper headed in the cross like a top striker to make it 4-2.

Unbridled jubilation followed in Lisbon, because with this goal, Benfica not only maximally humiliated the already shaken Real, but also reached the playoffs with the last action of the game. The Portuguese had narrowly missed out on the top 24 before, just one goal short. The rest is history..

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

📸 PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA - AFP or licensors