Football, as Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin has proven, always knows how to create the impossible. And Jose Mourinho, somehow, still finds a way to become the center of attention.
Benfica led Real Madrid 3-2 convincingly, but that was in the 90+7 minute of the match that the score did not fully reflect the developments for both sides. Real Madrid was pushed down to the play-off round, while Benfica was at risk of being eliminated, only one step behind the top 24.
So at the decisive moment, Mourinho ordered the goalkeeper to push high. And Trubin responded with a powerful header in the 90+8 minute, promptly keeping Benfica in the Champions League.
A goalkeeper. Minute 98. And therefore, a brilliant moment in a brilliant match, creating a story nurtured by great figures. Throughout everything, there is still a very clear lesson.
We knew he could do that. A few weeks ago, we were down at Porto, and in the last minute, he pushed up and almost scored. So, we knew that this tall guy was capable of doing that.
Of course, the quality of the pass is the most important thing. You have to put the ball in the right place, but it was a great goal for him. This victory is historic and important" - Mourinho said after the victory over Real.
Trubin's moment became special partly because of the existing level of risk. That is the completely eliminated boundary. After all, there is still a bit of "Mr. Mourinho magic".
The Premier League is the richest league, and of course there are 5 teams in the top 8. Newcastle is the only team lacking, only 2 points behind after missing a few good chances in the final minutes against Paris Saint-Germain.
If Benfica is the story of the night, then the Norwegian team Bodo/Glimt is the story of the entire group stage. They won a play-off ticket and will go down in history.
Looking at the rankings, the strongest teams in Europe are Arsenal, Bayern Munich and even crisis teams like Liverpool or Tottenham are all going further. It is hard to believe that Spurs are ranked above PSG, Real Madrid, Man City and Barcelona but cannot surpass West Ham or Burnley. Meanwhile, Liverpool turned Qarabag into a "lower-ranked" team like in the FA Cup, while Qarabag is ranked above Marseille by Roberto De Zerbi and Napoli by Antonio Conte.
Meanwhile, Liam Rosenior showed sensitivity when defeating Conte, with the highlight from Joao Pedro being revived - the name that is now becoming a noteworthy figure in the remainder of the season.
Conte's poor performance in European cups continues, while Sporting continues to improve. This happened despite the fact that the Portuguese team had just lost a coach considered outstanding talent and even the best players. Instead, they showed the value of strategic restructuring.
Tuesday this week is a strange night because it is rare to have a top match at the European Cup. Then on Wednesday, everything reversed when there were so many matches that you couldn't watch all of them. It must be said that 18 matches is too much, almost too much. But that is also the trend of modern football - like the World Cup - with more and more matches, whether fans like it or not.
Trubin and Mourinho, right at the perfect moment, reminded that in football the most important thing is still the moment.
