Trubin admits he was confused minutes before goal in Benfica-Real Madrid | OneFootball

Anatoliy Trubin spoke again about one of the most memorable nights of his season in Benfica’s service, with particular emphasis on the match against Real Madrid, which ended in a 4-2 win for the Eagles in the last round of the UEFA Champions League league phase, on January 28. The Ukrainian goalkeeper appeared on a podcast hosted by former international Denys Boyko, where he revisited the goal he scored in the 90+8th minute.

Trubin began by recalling the competitive context of the match and the instructions coming from the bench, in a game in which Benfica were leading 3-2 but needed one more goal to secure qualification. “Mourinho said he didn’t want to see results, he wanted us to play,” explained the goalkeeper, highlighting the tactical and emotional demands of such a difficult clash against the Merengues.

Even so, the player himself admitted that, at that moment, he was not fully aware of what was at stake. “We were winning 3-2, I was already controlling the ball with my chest, wasting time. I cleared the ball and everyone told me, ‘Let’s do something.’ I didn’t understand what they wanted from me,” Trubin revealed, showing the confusion that marked the final moments of the match.

The communication breakdown ended up creating tension on the pitch and even off it, with the goalkeeper admitting in a light-hearted tone the reaction from Benfica’s hierarchy. “I don’t think I heard many nice words (laughs),” joked the Ukrainian international, referring to the moment when the coaching staff and teammates tried to speed up the decision-making in a decisive play. The most curious reaction came from President Rui Costa: “First, everyone was in shock. Then he (Rui Costa) said: ‘See, the coach wanted another striker, now he doesn’t need one.’”

The outcome, however, ended up being epic. In the last meaningful play of the match, Benfica won a direct free-kick and Trubin was called upfield. “Mourinho told me to go up and I realized we needed one more goal. In my head I needed to take a step back. I scored a good goal,” he concluded.

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