UCL: Mou's keeper scores in 90+8 to kill Real Madrid, Barca storm from behind to get into top 8!

If you fell asleep last night too early or turned the TV off too soon, you've probably missed one of the craziest dramas ever seen in the history of the Champions League!

The drama, which would be labelled surreal if you'd seen something like that in a movie...

Imagine seeing Jose Mourinho knocking down Real Madrid with a stoppage-time goal of his own goalkeeper in the dying seconds - you'd probably say it's impossible.

Well, guess what... it actually is possible.

Not only did Anatoliy Trubin's 90+8 heroic header push Benfica to a 4-2 win and the UCL playoff stage, but this outcome also means that Los Blancos will have to fight for their chances to reach the knockout stage through that same playoff.

Alvaro Arbeloa's men were minutes away from getting a direct qualification into the last 32 round despite the loss, but a couple of shocking outcomes (like that of Sporting Lisbon’s 3-2 away win at Bilbao) and the fact that they conceded another goal from none other than the rival's keeper, means they’ll be in a very complicated position mid-February.

Moreover, they’ll have to do it without Raul Asencio and Rodrygo, who were sent off in this crazy encounter in Lisbon, as the visitors finished the game with only nine players on the pitch.

But allow us to unroll this spectacular game for you as it should be done...

Mr Special One did his homework superbly in every way, by motivating his side and ensuring they completely prevented Madrid from imposing their style of play.

The only thing they lacked in the opening half an hour was better finishing, and - unfortunately - that was precisely what the visitors showed the moment they finally bounced back and showed their presence in the attack after those 30 minutes of defending their own net.

Asencio stepped up with a meticulous cross as Kylian Mbappe pounced on it perfectly on the far post for the opener against the run of play.

Mou couldn't believe his own eyes, but there was still more than enough time left to play. And Benfica were adamant in making it difficult for the favourites. Pavlidis' cross was as smooth as it gets, and Schejelderup gave Los Blancos the taste of their own medicine with a fine header to level the score just six minutes after Mbappe's opener.

The same player had a fantastic chance to turn things around completely shortly after, but Fede Valverde saved his side with a goal-line clearance, before Barreiro missed a sitter just a minute or two later.

Yet, in the dying seconds of the first half, Pavlidis scored from the spot to show us just a glimpse of what was about to happen in the second half.

Thu: 23.00 (2.35) Crvena Zvezda (3.60) Celta (3.15)

And then the chaos unfolded spectacularly... Schejelderup and Mbappe added one more each, making it 3-2 in what already had all the elements of a movie. Alas, the very climax was worth a Hollywood blockbuster for sure!

As the news kept coming from the other grounds, both teams acknowledged they were with their backs to the wall: Madrid needed to score in order to get back into the top 8, while Benfica desperately needed to find the back of the net, too, but in order to stay alive.

The stage was set for a grand finale!

Mou and his assistant show Trubin to go in front of Real Madrid's goal (©Gallo images)

Nine-man Madrid were just too weak to make their presence visible in the opposite box, and the hosts pushed for a last gasp, do-or-die effort to get into the playoffs. Mourinho was seen at the sidelines giving his keeper Trubin instructions to go in front of his counterpart Courtois in search of a life-saving goal.

The Ukrainian keeper listened to his boss, and the miracle happened! His glancing header ended in the back of the net for a sensational win, a triumph, a victory that would be remembered for years, for decades, forever... Bloody football, that’s why we love it!

Funnily, this kind of euphoria made Barcelona's spectacular comeback against Copenhagen at Camp Nou almost irrelevant. As if it was just another day at the office for Hansi Flick's men... and it was far from that. As a matter of fact, the Blaugrana came from a goal behind to secure their spot in the top 8. After the opening 45 minutes, things were looking quite grim for the Catalans, but the Danish minnows should have known that there’s no place for two miracles in a single night.

Still, they fought bravely, taking the game into a completely opposite direction from the one we expected to see at the mythical ground.

A 17-year-old Dadason stunned the hosts with a superb finish early on to make it 1-0 for the underdogs. That kick in the gut affected Barca almost palpably, as they struggled to get back into the match after such a shocking start. Despite that, Lewandowski found himself in an amazing chance to restore the stalemate following a defensive howler, but Copenhagen’s keeper emerged with a handball-like save to keep his team in front. His first victim was Lewa, and the second was Eric Garcia, whose close-range effort ended on the hands of Kotarski.

Barca seemed frustrated and unable to break that low block, but things changed straight from the restart. Flick didn't change much, but his half-time talk gave his players a necessary boost, clearing the path for a ruthless comeback. Olmo linked up with Yamal on the right-hand side, as the prodigious winger placed it on the plate for Lewa's tap-in and a deserved equalizer just three minutes into the second half, 1-1.

From that point on, there was no rescue for the Danish champions. What followed was a Catalan storm, embellished with a bit of luck. Yamal's effort deflected off a Copenhagen keeper, ending up in the back of the net, before Lewandowski was taken down in the box. Raphinha netted from the spot for his first Champions League goal of the season, and out of the blue - Barcelona were two goals up, 3-1.

Rashford, finally, put the cherry on top of another smooth rescue of Flick's side, 4-1.

Just like in the recent comeback at home against Eintracht Frankfurt, the five-time European champions proved they’re made of steel. And, in truth, they have so much more to show us in the knockout stage. Buckle up, folks, the best is yet to come!

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE - MATCHDAY 8

Wednesday

Ajax - Olympiacos 1-2 (0-0)

/Dollberg 69 pen - Martins 52, Hezze 79/

Arsenal - Kairat 3-1 (3-1)

/Gyokeres 2, Havertz 15, Martinelli 36 - Jorginho 7 pen/

Athletic Bilbao - Sporting Lisbon 2-3 (2-1)

/Sancet 3, Guruzeta 28 - Diomande 12, Trincao 62, Santos 90+4/

Atletico Madrid - Bodo/Glimt 1-2 (1-1)

/Sorloth 15 - Sjovold 34, Hogh 59/

Barcelona - Copenhagen 4-1 (0-1)

/Lewandowski 48, Yamal 60, Raphinha 69, Rashford 85 - Dadason 4/

Benfica - Real Madrid 4-2 (2-1)

/Schejelderup 36, 54, Pavlidis 45+5, Trubin 90+8 - Mbappe 30, 58/

Club Brugge - Olympique Marseille 3-0 (2-0)

/Diakhon 4, Vermant 11, Stankovic 79/

Borussia Dortmund - Inter Milan 0-1 (0-0)

/Dimarco 80/

Eintracht Frankfurt - Tottenham 0-2 (0-0)

/Kolo Muani 47, Solanke 77/

Bayer Leverkusen - Villarreal 3-0 (2-0)

/Tillman 12, 35, Grimaldo 57/

Liverpool - Qarabag 6-0 (2-0)

/Mac Allister 15,61, Wirtz 21, Salah 50, Ekitike 57, Chiesa 90/

Manchester City - Galatasaray 2-0 (2-0)

/Haaland 10, Cherki 29/

Monaco - Juventus 0-0

Napoli - Chelsea 2-3 (2-1)

/Vergara 33, Hojlund 43 - Enzo F. 19 pen, Pedro 61, 82/

PSG - Newcastle 1-1 (1-1)

/Vitinha 8 - Willock 45+2/

PSV - Bayern Munich 1-2 (0-0)

/Saibari 78 - Musiala 58, Kane 84/

Pafos - Slavia Prague 4-1 (1-1)

/Dragomir 17, Bruno 53, Silva 84, Orsic 87 - Chaloupek 44/

Union St. Gilloise - Atalanta 1-0 (0-0)

/Khalaili 70/