An unexpected turn occurred in the group stage Champions League match between Benfica and Real Madrid, where goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin became the hero of an incredibly dramatic victory.
On January 28, 2026, the Portuguese club secured an impressive 4:2 victory, literally saving their tournament position at the last moment. The main heroes of the match were Andreas Scheldrup and Evangelos Pavlidis, who scored three goals.
Unexpected Match Hero
The most shocking moment was the goal by goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin in the 90+8 minute. He unexpectedly appeared in the opponent's penalty area during a free kick and struck Thibaut Courtois's goal with a header.
Dramatic Circumstances
The match took place in an extremely tense atmosphere. Both teams had personnel problems: Benfica was missing six players, while Real Madrid was missing four. The Spanish coach Alvaro Arbeloa preferred Courtois over Andriy Lunin.
The victory allowed Benfica to qualify for the tournament playoffs from the last, 24th position. Meanwhile, Real Madrid will have to play in the 1/16 final round.
