Real Madrid’s loss to Benfica in Lisbon means they must now compete in a play-off to reach the Champions League last 16 against Benfica or Bodo/Glimt. Benfica secured their spot in the knockout phase play-offs with goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin’s dramatic 98th-minute header.
The Eagles, despite falling behind 1-0, managed to turn the game around and lead 3-1 with two goals from Andreas Schjelderup and Vangelis Pavlidis’ penalty. Kylian Mbappe’s record-setting 13th league phase goal initially pushed Benfica out of the top 24 until Trubin’s late heroics under Jose Mourinho’s direction.
The league phase concluded with Barcelona, Sporting CP, Bayern, and five English teams securing top-eight positions in a thrilling finish with 18 simultaneous kick-offs. Anatoliy Trubin’s last-minute header also ensured Benfica’s place in the knockout phase play-offs, while Sporting clinched a top-eight finish with a dramatic win over Bilbao.
