On a dramatic European night at the Estádio da Luz, Real Madrid, the record holders for Champions League titles, suffered a shock 4-2 defeat against their Portuguese hosts, Benfica. This loss was more than just a minor setback; it forced the Spanish giants into the qualifying rounds for the round of 16, after they failed to secure a place among the top eight automatic qualifiers in the competition's new format.
Details of the exciting match and its goals
Real Madrid started the match strongly, with their French star Kylian Mbappé opening the scoring in the 30th minute. Although Mbappé added a second goal in the 58th minute, it wasn't enough to save his team. Benfica, under the guidance of their astute coach José Mourinho, capitalized on home advantage to turn the game around. Norwegian Andreas Schjællrup scored twice (in the 37th and 54th minutes), and Greek Vangelis Pavlidis converted a penalty in the 45th minute of first-half stoppage time (45+5). But the most dramatic moment came in the final seconds when Ukrainian goalkeeper Anatoliy Turpin headed home a decisive goal in the 90+8th minute, securing 24th place and a spot in the playoffs for his team.
The new context of the Champions League
This result comes under the new Champions League format, which has transformed into a unified league stage featuring 36 teams. Under this system, the teams finishing in the top eight positions qualify directly for the round of 16. The teams finishing from ninth to twenty-fourth compete in a two-legged playoff to determine the remaining eight qualifiers. With this loss, Real Madrid dropped to ninth place, finding themselves in an unfamiliar position of having to play additional knockout matches to advance.
The importance of the result and its expected impact
Domestically, this defeat is a blow to Real Madrid's morale, as they had hoped to secure a comfortable qualification and avoid exhausting their players with additional matches. For Benfica, however, this victory is historic, not only because it came at the expense of a European giant, but also because it salvaged their continental season in dramatic fashion, providing a huge morale boost for both the team and their fans. Internationally, the presence of a team of Real Madrid's stature in the playoffs adds significant excitement to this stage of the competition, potentially leading to some high-profile clashes early in the knockout rounds, something football fans around the world are eagerly anticipating.
History of confrontations and memories of “Da Luz”
The rivalry between Real Madrid and Benfica is steeped in history, having previously met in the 1962 Champions League final, which the Portuguese side won. Although their encounters have been few since then, the Estádio da Luz holds fond memories for Real Madrid, as they clinched their tenth title there in 2014. However, this time, the stadium became the stage for a nightmare that forced the Royal Club to take the more difficult path towards their coveted sixteenth title.
