"Jose Mourinho's Benfica were 3-2 up but needed another goal to move above Marseille and into the promised land: the top 24 of the new Bigger Cup, which comes with a playoff place. Trubin planted a superb downward header past Thibaut Courtois Roy Race couldn't have done it better and set off on a celebration whose memory will act as instant serotonin for the rest of his life."
"Trubin joined Benfica from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2023, a year after the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war, and dedicated the goal to his country. For Ukraine, he said. For those who know how to fight till the end. At 3-2 up! Photograph: Miguel A Lopes/EPA The goal means that Benfica will face one of Mourinho's old clubs in the playoff round: either Real Madrid (again) or Inter."
"A few minutes beforehand, Mourinho made two defensive substitutions after being wrongly told a 3-2 win was enough for Benfica. At least nobody kept the ball in the corner like poor Steve Lomas when Manchester City were relegated in 1995-96. A few seconds later, then they tell me we need one more goal, but I cannot make more changes, tooted Mourinho."
"That was the lucky point, to get the free-kick, to allow us to go there with the big guy [Trubin]. The big guy lit up Bigger Cup with the biggest goal of the night and probably of the entire league stage since the new Swiss model was introduced last season. With 18 matches being played simultaneously, the permutations seemed to change every 30 seconds."
Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin ran upfield and, in the 98th minute, planted a downward header past Thibaut Courtois to make the decisive score. The goal sent Benfica into the top 24 of the new Bigger Cup and secured a playoff place that could match them with Real Madrid or Inter. Trubin joined Benfica from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2023 and dedicated the goal to Ukraine and those who fight till the end. Jose Mourinho had made defensive substitutions earlier after being incorrectly told a 3-2 win would suffice, leaving permutations uncertain until the last moment.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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