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An improbable Anatoliy Trubin header in second-half stoppage time capped off a remarkable 4-2 win for Benfica over a listless Real Madrid on Wednesday. Los Blancos had no answers for the Portuguese side and were thoroughly beaten on the road, meaning Alvaro Arbeloa’s side will now face a play-off to secure a place in the Champions League last-16.
Madrid never truly had control in the first half as Jose Mourinho’s side were happy to hit their visitors on the break. Still, Los Blancos took an undeserved lead when Kylian Mbappe headed home with his first real touch.
Yet Benfica fought back and made it 1-1 after 36 minutes when Andreas Schjelderup completed a sweeping counter-attack with a tidy header that crept through Thibaut Courtois‘ open legs. Their second goal then came from the penalty spot on the stroke of half-time after Aurelien Tchouameni shoved his man inside the box, leaving Vangelis Pavlidis to side-foot down the middle.
Things got worse early in the second half when Benfica made it three after another counter-attack was capped by a Schjelderup strike. But Madrid fought back immediately as Mbappe fired home from an Arda Guler cross.
Madrid fought for an equaliser before both Raul Asencio and Rodrygo were shown red cards in stoppage time. However, the drama didn’t end there as, with Benfica needing a goal to advance in the final seconds of stoppage time, goalkeeper Trubin nodded home from a free-kick to cap off a remarkable evening and potentially set up another meeting between the two sides in February, with either Mourinho’s side or Bodo/Glimt slated to be Madrid’s play-off opponents.
GOAL rates Real Madrid’s players from Estadio La Luz…
Goalkeeper & Defence
Thibaut Courtois (5/10):
Made a few nice saves. Nutmegged on the first goal, dove the wrong way on the second, and could do nothing about the third or fourth.
Federico Valverde (5/10):
Constantly caught out on the right, and left Asencio all alone far too often.
Raul Asencio (4/10):
Absolutely rinsed in the run-up to Benfica’s equaliser. Picked up a silly second yellow in stoppage time. Assisted Mbappe’s opener, though.
Dean Huijsen (6/10):
Did a lot of covering for Carreras, which isn’t really his forte. Unfairly subbed.
Alvaro Carreras (5/10):
Lacked positional discipline in the first half, when Benfica constantly attacked down his side of the pitch.
Midfield
Aurelien Tchouameni (5/10):
Gave away a penalty with a silly shove and could have moved the ball quicker.
Arda Guler (6/10):
Lost the ball a few times, and pushed around far too easily in the midfield. Looked much better on the right.
Jude Bellingham (6/10):
Ran his socks off and got stuck in. Wasn’t afforded too many attacking opportunities.
Attack
Franco Mastantuono (5/10):
Held his width, which was useful, but he could have been a little cleaner on the ball.
Kylian Mbappe (8/10):
Took his header well but went down with an injury scare soon after. Added another to give Madrid hope – but nothing came of it.
Vinicius Jr (5/10):
Pretty anonymous in the first half. Offered a bit more quality in the second but was constantly doubled, and never passed.
Subs & Manager
Eduardo Camavinga (6/10):
Brought on to play in midfield, and gave Los Blancos a bit more bite.
Rodrygo (4/10):
Didn’t make much of an impact off the right. Sent off for dissent in second-half stoppage time.
David Alaba (6/10):
A good shift at centre-back.
Jorge Cestero (6/10):
Another bright cameo for the academy kid.
Brahim Diaz (N/A):
No time to make an impact.
Alvaro Arbeloa (4/10):
Went with a full-strength line up, which was something of a surprise in the circumstances, but it didn’t work, as Madrid were remarkably frail, and deserved to lose.
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