JOSE MOURINHO CONDEMNED his former employers to a ninth-placed finish in the league phase as his Benfica side beat Real Madrid 4-2 in the Champions League, with a stoppage-time header by goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin keeping the Portuguese alive in the competition.
A third defeat of the campaign for Madrid, coupled with wins for Barcelona, Chelsea, Sporting Lisbon and Manchester City, meant Madrid finished ninth and will have to play the two-legged knockout play-off round.
Benfica, on the other hand, will not turn their noses up at the extra game after ‘keeper Trubin sensationally nodded in a 98th-minute goal to snatch the last qualification spot on goal difference.
Earlier, Kylian Mbappe netted a brace as Andreas Schjelderup scored twice and Vangelis Pavlidis converted a penalty for the hosts.
For Mourinho, who coached Madrid between 2010 and 2013, it was a first victory at the second time of asking against his old club since departing them.
THAT IS UNBELIEVABLE 🔥
Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scores a 98th minute goal to keep Jose Mourinho's Benfica in the competition 💥
Teams qualified for Champions League knockout stages
Last 16: Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Tottenham,, Barcelona, Chelsea, Sporting Lisbon, Manchester City.
Knockout play-off round: Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Newcastle, Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Atalanta, Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund, Olympiacos, Club Brugge, Galatasaray, Monaco, Qarabag, Bodo/Glimt, Benfica.
Meanwhile, Erling Haaland ended his 10-game wait for a goal from open play as Manchester City beat Galatasaray 2-0 to book their place in the last 16.
Rayan Cherki was also on target for Pep Guardiola’s men, who took advantage of results elsewhere going their way to sneak into the top eight and avoid a perilous play-off next month.
City know the dangers of the play-off round only too well after being dumped out at that stage by Real Madrid 12 months ago.
A week on from an embarrassing defeat to Bodo/Glimt that put their place in the top eight at risk, City made amends against a Galatasaray side that will go into the play-offs.
Haaland had been left on the bench by Guardiola for the first time in the Premier League this season for Saturday’s 2-0 win over Wolves.
The Norwegian’s only goal since 27 December prior to Wednesday had come from the penalty spot against Brighton.
But Haaland showed no signs of a lack of confidence when he nonchalantly lifted the ball over Galatasaray goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir from Jeremy Doku’s fine through ball.
Doku was also the creator for the second goal when he picked out Cherki inside the box to slam low into the corner.
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But the Belgian’s departure soon after with what appeared to be a hamstring injury was the one sour note of the night for Guardiola.
Joe Willock celebrates. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Elsewhere, Joe Willock’s first goal in almost a year handed Newcastle a creditable draw at holders Paris St Germain as they clinched a seeded play-off place.
Willock’s header in first-half stoppage time – he last scored in an FA Cup tie at Birmingham on February 8, 2025 – cancelled out Vitinha’s early strike and ensured it finished 1-1 at the Parc des Princes, just as it had done two years ago.
The draw was all the more creditable after Eddie Howe’s men were hit by an early blitz during which goalkeeper Nick Pope saved an Ousmane Dembele penalty and Vitinha scored, but ultimately both sides slipped out of the top eight on a night when only victory was likely to be good enough.
Randal Kolo Muani put an eventful couple of days behind him with a goal to send Tottenham through to the last 16 with a 2-0 win at Eintracht Frankfurt.
Kolo Muani was an unused substitute during Spurs’ disappointing 2-2 draw at Burnley on Saturday amid speculation former club Juventus wanted to bring the France forward back this month before he was involved in a car crash on Tuesday.
The Paris St Germain loanee was fine and despite a late arrival in Germany, he grabbed the crucial 47th-minute opener against his old team before Dominic Solanke added a second to ease the pressure on under-fire boss Thomas Frank, with Tottenham remarkably able to finish fourth in the league phase of the competition.
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98th-minute Benfica goalkeeper header saves Mourinho, Man City sneak into top eight
JOSE MOURINHO CONDEMNED his former employers to a ninth-placed finish in the league phase as his Benfica side beat Real Madrid 4-2 in the Champions League, with a stoppage-time header by goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin keeping the Portuguese alive in the competition.
A third defeat of the campaign for Madrid, coupled with wins for Barcelona, Chelsea, Sporting Lisbon and Manchester City, meant Madrid finished ninth and will have to play the two-legged knockout play-off round.
Benfica, on the other hand, will not turn their noses up at the extra game after ‘keeper Trubin sensationally nodded in a 98th-minute goal to snatch the last qualification spot on goal difference.
Earlier, Kylian Mbappe netted a brace as Andreas Schjelderup scored twice and Vangelis Pavlidis converted a penalty for the hosts.
For Mourinho, who coached Madrid between 2010 and 2013, it was a first victory at the second time of asking against his old club since departing them.
Teams qualified for Champions League knockout stages
Meanwhile, Erling Haaland ended his 10-game wait for a goal from open play as Manchester City beat Galatasaray 2-0 to book their place in the last 16.
Rayan Cherki was also on target for Pep Guardiola’s men, who took advantage of results elsewhere going their way to sneak into the top eight and avoid a perilous play-off next month.
City know the dangers of the play-off round only too well after being dumped out at that stage by Real Madrid 12 months ago.
A week on from an embarrassing defeat to Bodo/Glimt that put their place in the top eight at risk, City made amends against a Galatasaray side that will go into the play-offs.
Haaland had been left on the bench by Guardiola for the first time in the Premier League this season for Saturday’s 2-0 win over Wolves.
The Norwegian’s only goal since 27 December prior to Wednesday had come from the penalty spot against Brighton.
But Haaland showed no signs of a lack of confidence when he nonchalantly lifted the ball over Galatasaray goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir from Jeremy Doku’s fine through ball.
Doku was also the creator for the second goal when he picked out Cherki inside the box to slam low into the corner.
But the Belgian’s departure soon after with what appeared to be a hamstring injury was the one sour note of the night for Guardiola.
Elsewhere, Joe Willock’s first goal in almost a year handed Newcastle a creditable draw at holders Paris St Germain as they clinched a seeded play-off place.
Willock’s header in first-half stoppage time – he last scored in an FA Cup tie at Birmingham on February 8, 2025 – cancelled out Vitinha’s early strike and ensured it finished 1-1 at the Parc des Princes, just as it had done two years ago.
The draw was all the more creditable after Eddie Howe’s men were hit by an early blitz during which goalkeeper Nick Pope saved an Ousmane Dembele penalty and Vitinha scored, but ultimately both sides slipped out of the top eight on a night when only victory was likely to be good enough.
Randal Kolo Muani put an eventful couple of days behind him with a goal to send Tottenham through to the last 16 with a 2-0 win at Eintracht Frankfurt.
Kolo Muani was an unused substitute during Spurs’ disappointing 2-2 draw at Burnley on Saturday amid speculation former club Juventus wanted to bring the France forward back this month before he was involved in a car crash on Tuesday.
The Paris St Germain loanee was fine and despite a late arrival in Germany, he grabbed the crucial 47th-minute opener against his old team before Dominic Solanke added a second to ease the pressure on under-fire boss Thomas Frank, with Tottenham remarkably able to finish fourth in the league phase of the competition.
*****
Uefa Champions League results
League phase, matchday eight
Ajax (NED) 1 (Dolberg 69-pen) Olympiacos (GRE) 2 (Martins 52, Hezze 79)
Arsenal (ENG) 3 (Gyokeres 3, Havertz 15, Martinelli 36) Kairat Almaty (KAZ) 2 (Jorginho 7-pen, Ricardinho 90+3)
Athletic Bilbao (ESP) 2 (Sancet 3, Guruzeta 28) Sporting Lisbon (POR) 3 (Diomande 12, Trincao 62, Santos 90+4)
Atletico Madrid (ESP) 1 (Sorloth 15) Bodo/Glimt (NOR) 2 (Sjovold 34, Hogh 59)
Barcelona (ESP) 4 (Lewandowski 48, Yamal 60, Raphinha 69-pen, Rashford 85) FC Copenhagen (DEN) 1 (Dadason 4)
Bayer Leverkusen (GER) 3 (Tillman 12, 35, Grimaldo 57) Villarreal (ESP) 0
Benfica (POR) 4 (Schjelderup 34, 54, Pavlidis 45+5-pen, Trubin 90+8) Real Madrid (ESP) 2 (Mbappe 30, 58)
Club Brugge (BEL) 3 (Diakhon 4, Vermant 11, Stankovic 79) Marseille (FRA) 0
Borussia Dortmund (GER) 0 Inter Milan (ITA) 2 (Dimarco 81, Diouf 90+4)
Eintracht Frankfurt (GER) 0 Tottenham (ENG) 2 (Kolo Muani 47, Solanke 77)
Liverpool (ENG) 6 (Mac Allister 15, 61, Wirtz 21, Salah 50, Ekitike 57, Chiesa 90) Qarabag (AZE) 0
Manchester City (ENG) 2 (Haaland 11, Cherki 29) Galatasaray (TUR) 0
Monaco (FRA) 0 Juventus (ITA) 0
Napoli (ITA) 2 (Vergara 33, Hojlund 43) Chelsea (ENG) 3 (Fernandez 19-pen, Pedro 61, 82)
Pafos (CYP) 4 (Dragomir 17, Bruno 53, Andersen 84, 87) Slavia Prague (CZE) 1 (Chaloupek 44)
Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) 1 (Vitinha 8) Newcastle (ENG) 1 (Willock 45+2)
PSV Eindhoven (NED) 1 (Saibari 78) Bayern Munich (GER) 2 (Musiala 58, Kane 84)
Union Saint-Gilloise (BEL) 1 (Khalaili 70) Atalanta (ITA) 0
– © AFP 2026
With reporting from Press Association
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