It was a wild night in Lisbon where Real Madrid’s European campaign turned on a dime, as Benfica stunned the Spanish giants with a 4-2 victory littered with goals, red cards, and late madness. Kylian Mbappé gave the visitors the lead twice but was let down by moments of defensive weakness and ill-discipline before a stunning, last-minute winner ensured ecstasy for the home supporters.
Arbeloa's men had to simply avoid defeat to clinch a place in the finals without needing to go through the playoffs, but they let their grip on the game slip after the interval and ended the day in the two-legged playoff places. Powered by non-stop aggression and confidence, Benfica pounced on Madrid's errors and delivered one of their most iconic nights in the Champions League.
Kylian Mbappe leads the fight as Benfica take control
Real Madrid made a good start to the match and got their reward when Kylian Mbappé finished calmly to give the Frenchman an early lead. The French ace was Madrid's most potent threat all game and doubled his tally after the break to temporarily give hope.
The one good thing Benfica had going for them was that they matched intensity and precision in return.
Andreas Schjelderup netted a brace, and Vangelis Pavlidis converted from the spot to turn the match around. The frantic nature of the game began to collapse Madrid's defensive structure, and the midfield struggled to keep pace with Benfica's transitions.
Red cards, late drama, and player ratings from Lisbon thriller
The closing moments descended into madness. Madrid threw everything forward, but late in stoppage time, Raúl Asencio and Rodrygo were both shown red cards, reducing their side to nine men. That was the cue for Benfica to strike the decisive blow, with goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin rushing up for the corner and given no protection as he scored a sensational late winner with a header.
Below are the Real Madrid player ratings from the match:
- Thibaut Courtois: 7/10
- Dani Carvajal: 6/10
- Antonio Rüdiger: 5/10
- Aurélien Tchouaméni: 4/10
- Ferland Mendy: 5/10
- Jude Bellingham: 6/10
- Arda Güler: 7/10
- Vinícius Júnior: 4/10
- Kylian Mbappé: 8/10
- Rodrygo: 4/10
- Raúl Asencio: 3/10
Andreas Schjelderup was brilliant for Benfica, bagging a brace, and Anatoliy Trubin's late header clinched an incredible turnaround that will never be forgotten in Champions League history.