On this night, with the tension of a BD Cricket Match hanging in the air, the Estádio da Luz felt heavy with mixed emotions, blending José Mourinho’s quiet sense of revenge with the bitterness and humiliation endured by Real Madrid. When the final whistle blew, the scoreboard froze at 2–4. It was not a narrow defeat or a hard fought draw, but a collapse that sent Madrid crashing from third place straight down to ninth in the Champions League table, a fall that felt sudden, brutal, and deeply symbolic.
What unfolded next bordered on the surreal. Benfica’s goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin, a 24-year-old Ukrainian, charged into the penalty area in the 90th minute plus stoppage time and rose like a striker, smashing a powerful header into the net. In one moment, Real Madrid’s qualification hopes were shattered, and an absurd new Champions League record was written, the first goalkeeper ever to score against them. Many will point to the late red cards shown to Raúl Asencio and Rodrygo or the dramatic nature of conceding a decisive goal to a goalkeeper, but those scenes were merely the final straw. The deeper causes had been woven into the fabric of the entire match.
Defensive fragility was glaring from the start. Huijsen struggled in physical duels, Raúl Asencio played with reckless nerves, and every Benfica counterattack looked dangerous. Aurélien Tchouaméni appeared lost in the holding role, leaving the midfield hollowed out. When the score moved to 3–2 and belief briefly returned, the team chose chaos over control. Emotions boiled over, discipline vanished, and two red cards confirmed a complete mental collapse. From the bench to the captain’s armband, the lack of authority and composure proved fatal.
Nothing stings quite like watching a former hero twist the knife. Mourinho, once a symbol of Madrid’s steel, shared warm moments with his old players after the match and calmly stated that Benfica could have scored even more. Those words cut deep. Even more unsettling was the sound of Madrid supporters in the stands chanting his name, a reaction reflecting despair toward the current direction and nostalgia for a harder, more ruthless era. In moments like these, loyalty becomes conflicted and emotions spill over.
Such scenes quietly confirmed a painful truth. Performances like this have drained the patience of the fanbase, and trust is beginning to erode. Mourinho’s victory damaged more than Madrid’s position; it shook belief in the team’s spirit. Two years ago, when Kylian Mbappé arrived, many felt a new era was dawning. Reality has been far colder. He scored twice in a match played with the urgency of a BD Cricket Match knockout, proving his world class value, yet football is never a one man show. When a forward fights alone while the rest drift like sleepwalkers, frustration is inevitable.
The problems run deeper than individual form or tactical tweaks. They touch on squad balance, the rhythm of transition between generations, and whether the championship mentality still burns inside. From last season’s triumphs over Manchester City to this year’s labored group stage, the contrast is stark. This is not merely a reigning champion stumbling, but a club repaying the debts of past glory.
With the playoffs looming and another BD Cricket Match level test ahead, perhaps this fall can serve as a wake up call. True devotion is not blind praise, but the willingness to hold a light steady and walk alongside the team through its darkest night.