LONDON: Real Madrid missed out on automatic qualification for the Champions League last 16 as they were stunningly dumped into the playoffs by their former coach Jose Mourinho — whose Benfica side advanced on a last-gasp goal by their goalkeeper, with Sporting Lisbon also netting a late goal to help deny the record winners — on a frenetic final night of group-stage action across Europe on Wednesday.

Real started play third in the 36-team standings and two goals by Kylian Mbappe had put the 15-time winners on course for the win they needed to secure a top-eight finish, but their night ended in chaos as Mourinho’s Benfica roared back to win 4-2 and his ex-side fell to ninth.

Astonishingly, Benfica only advanced to the knockout phase in 24th place on goal difference because Ukrainian goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scored in the eighth minute of stoppage time with a dramatic header when Real were down to nine players. Red cards were shown minutes earlier for Raul Asencio and Rodrygo.

At 3-2, many fans and some players in Lisbon did not seem to realise they needed another goal to be the last unseeded play-off team. But once the message had spread across the stadium, Ukrainian keeper Trubin went up field and headed in to spark remarkable scenes at the end of the final league phase matches.

Liverpool, City and Barca ease into Champions League last 16; late Portuguese drama sees Benfica into playoffs

“This victory is historic and important — even more so from a prestige point of view,” Mourinho said. “You think it’s enough, and it’s not. You have to change things and take risks, because in the end this ball could have made it 3-3 and we would still have been eliminated.”

Real fell out of the top-eight places when Sporting got a stoppage-time goal from Alisson Santos in a 3-2 win at Athletic Bilbao, who went out. “They have outplayed us,” Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa said of Benfica. “We’ve been far from the version we should be.”

Holders Paris St Germain — who drew 1-1 with Newcastle United — must also enter the play-offs as a seeded team like Real, while Napoli lost 3-2 at home to Chelsea to bow out just like PSV Eindhoven, Olympique de Marseille and Ajax Amsterdam.

Sporting surprisingly joined Liverpool — who beat Qarabag 6-0 and got a goal from Mohamed Salah — Tottenham Hotspur, Barcelona, Chelsea and Manche­ster City in sealing top-eight finishes.

Table-topping Arsenal, who completed a perfect eight-win programme beating Kairat Almaty 3-2, and second-placed Bayern Munich had already advanced to the round of 16 that starts in March.

Real took the lead against Benfica when Mbappe headed home his 12th Champions League goal of the season.

But Benfica hit back before the break through Andreas Schjelderup and Vangelis Pavlidis’ penalty.

Schjelderup drilled in his second early in the second period, although Real pulled one back through Mbappe, leaving Benfica needing to score again to pip Marseille to the last play-off spot.

Both Asencio and Rodrygo were sent off to leave Real down to nine men in injury time, and Trubin sensationally headed home a free-kick with the last touch of the game.

“We knew that he could do it. You have to put the ball there, but it’s an amazing goal for the guy,” Mourinho said.

Trubin said it was a “crazy moment. I’m not used to scoring. I’m 24 years old and it’s the first time.”

In a twist of fate, Benfica could now face Real in the play-offs. The Spaniards could also be drawn with Norwegians Bodo/Glimt, who won 2-1 at Atletico Madrid. If Benfica are not paired with Real, then it will be the 10th-placed team, Inter Milan — whom Mourinho led to the 2010 Champions League title. It is a remarkable renaissance for Mourinho, who lost his job at Fenerbahce in August for losing in the Champions League qualifying playoffs against Benfica.

PSG and Newcastle both started in the top eight but the stalemate at the Parc des Princes sent both falling in the standings to 11th and 12th, and into the play-offs, against either Qarabag or Monaco.

The game had an explosive start when Newcastle conceded a penalty for a handball in the first minute, and Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele’s spot-kick was saved by Nick Pope, but PSG soon took the lead through Vitinha’s low strike from the edge of the box.

Newcastle managed to stay in the game and equalised in first-half added time, as Joe Willock arrived late in the box to head in a Dan Burn flick-on.

Still, PSG went through the playoffs round a year ago in taking the longest path possible with two extra games in February toward its first European title.

“It’s always difficult when you have expectations to be in the top eight,” PSG coach Luis Enrique told TNT Sports. “Newcastle is a very good side… But we need to improve.”

DRAMA GALORE

Nowhere was the drama more compelling than at Atletico’s Metropolitano Stadium where Diego Simeone’s side hosted Bodo/Glimt.

Atletico led through Alexander Sorloth’s goal and at one point were into the top eight but Bodo, who stunned City last week, hit back with goals by Fredrik Sjovold and Kasper Hogh for a remarkable win to put the Arctic Circle debutants in 23rd and into the playoffs.

Atletico ended 14th and will have to be content with being one of the seeded teams in the two-legged playoffs.

Liverpool thrashed Qarabag to end their group campaign in style and finish in third place — Alexis Mac Allister scoring twice. “Hopefully [we can reach] the final,” Mac Allister said. “We know what we’re capable of.”

Barca began the evening in ninth spot but spared themselves a playoff tie as they came from a goal down to beat Copenhagen 4-1. Goals from Robert Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Marcus Rashford ensured they finished fifth, one place behind surprise package Tottenham who won 2-0 at Eintracht Frankfurt, courtesy of goals from strikers Randal Kolo Muani and Dominic Solanke.

Chelsea trailed 2-1 at Napoli but two goals by Joao Pedro earned them a victory to clinch sixth spot while defeat left Napoli down and out in 30th place.

City beat Galatasaray 2-0 at home to jump from 11th to eighth and spare themselves a repeat of last season when they failed to reach the last-16 after losing to Real in the playoffs.

That meant five of the six English clubs are in the last 16 and could yet be joined by Newcastle.

Arsenal became the first club in the new 36-team group format to finish with a 100% record. Runners-up Bayern ended with a 2-1 victory at PSV with a winner from Harry Kane that left the Dutch club eliminated.

Napoli and PSV were not the only illustrious clubs to finish below the elimination trapdoor.

Marseille had eyes on a top-16 place and a seeded playoff berth, but a 3-0 hammering at Club Brugge meant they finished 25th with Brugge grabbing a playoff spot at their expense.

Inter Milan failed to seal a top-eight berth despite a 2-0 success over Borussia Dortmund, as did Juventus after their goalless draw at Monaco.

Atalanta, Bayer Leverkusen, Dortmund, Olympiacos, Club Brugge and Galatasaray are the other sides into the play-off round. They will learn who they will face in Friday’s draw.

Published in Dawn, January 30th, 2026

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