Benfica Goalkeeper Scores Last-Minute Goal to Keep Club in Champions League

Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scored a 98th-minute goal to prevent the Lisbon club from exiting the Champions League against Real Madrid.

Despite Kylian Mbappe scoring a brace and Los Blancos going down to nine men after Raul Asencio and Rodrygo were shown red cards, it was an utterly unexpected moment that had Jose Mourinho running down the touchline at Estadio da Luz.

Mbappe’s brace was cancelled out by Vangelis Pavlidis’ strike and Andreas Schjelderup’s double, meaning the score was 3-2 as the final whistle approached.

The result would have meant the Portuguese side exited the competition on goal difference, but Trubin had other ideas.

The home side’s goalkeeper made his way into the penalty area as Benfica set up a last-gasp free-kick before swinging it into the box, and against all odds, Trubin nodded it past Thibaut Courtois to make it 4-2 and secure his team a play-off spot at Marseille's expense.

He is just the third goalkeeper - alongside Sinan Bolat and Ivan Provedel - to score from open play in Champions League history.

Meanwhile, Real finished ninth and will also have to compete in a two-legged play-off in February.

Fans were quick to react to the goal on social media.

One said: "Mourinho is really the special one. No other manager could have done this."

Another added: "Trubin just wrote himself into history."

A third claimed: "Benfica get a last-minute free kick and Mourinho tells the keeper to join the attack… guess what? The keeper actually scores. Football is pure cinema."

A fourth commented: "Jose straight in front of the Madrid bench. Class."

While a fifth wrote: "José Mourinho has seen a lot of crazy stuff in his 25 year career.

"A goalkeeper scoring at the last minute to send his team to the Champions League knockouts might just be the craziest one.

"A once in a lifetime moment."

The first leg of the play-off ties will take place between February 17/18 before the second legs are played across February 24/25.