Da Dona
Senior Member
- Dec 16, 2025
- 134
- 134
Last night’s Champions League fixture will go down as one of the most dramatic -and controversial -nights in modern European football as one of the European Giants Real Madrid fails to go through directly into the last 16, despite Kylian Mbappe scoring a brace, didn’t secure automatic qualification to the Round of 16 and must now go to the playoffs after a shocking 4–2 defeat at Benfica in Lisbon.
Reuters
What went wrong?
From start to finish it was chaos:
Mbappe put Madrid ahead, continuing his blistering season form.
Reuters
But Benfica hit back with goals from Schjelderup (2) and Pavlidis (penalty) to lead 3–1 at one point.
Then the most unbelievable moment -Benfica’s goalkeeper, Anatoliy Trubin, came up for a late free kick and headed in the 98th‑minute winner, sending the Portuguese side into the playoffs and dumping Madrid out of direct qualification on goal difference.
What this means:
The result means Madrid finished ninth in the standings — just outside the top 8 that go straight into the last 16.
Reuters
What went wrong?
From start to finish it was chaos:
Mbappe put Madrid ahead, continuing his blistering season form.
Reuters
But Benfica hit back with goals from Schjelderup (2) and Pavlidis (penalty) to lead 3–1 at one point.
Then the most unbelievable moment -Benfica’s goalkeeper, Anatoliy Trubin, came up for a late free kick and headed in the 98th‑minute winner, sending the Portuguese side into the playoffs and dumping Madrid out of direct qualification on goal difference.
What this means:
The result means Madrid finished ninth in the standings — just outside the top 8 that go straight into the last 16.
