‘Like a Striker!’ – Benfica Goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin Reveals ‘Crazy’ Emotion of Scoring vs Real Madrid and Praises Thibaut Courtois for Classy Gesture After Shock Win

‘Like a Striker!’ – Anatoliy Trubin Relives the ‘Crazy’ Night He Scored vs Real Madrid and Earned Praise from Thibaut Courtois

There are moments in football that feel scripted for cinema rather than competition. A 98th-minute header. A goalkeeper charging into the opposition box. The reigning kings of Europe stunned. Pandemonium in the stands. Disbelief on the pitch.

For Anatoliy Trubin, it still doesn’t quite feel real.

The Benfica goalkeeper has spent his entire footballing life trying to prevent goals. And yet, on one surreal Champions League night against Real Madrid, he became the hero at the opposite end of the pitch — rising in the 98th minute to power home a header that sealed a breathtaking 4-2 victory.

It was a result that reshaped the European landscape, secured Benfica’s place in the knockout play-offs and delivered one of the competition’s most improbable images: a goalkeeper celebrating like a centre-forward.

And as if the night needed another layer of drama, one of the most poignant moments came not during the chaos, but after the final whistle — when Thibaut Courtois sought him out with a smile and a handshake.

Reshaping the Champions League Landscape

Benfica’s victory was not just dramatic — it was decisive. Finishing 24th, they claimed the final qualifying spot for the Champions League knockout stage. One goal either way would have changed everything.

That goal came from the most unlikely source.

“Since I started to play football, when I was six, I worked hard and did everything to stop goals,” Trubin reflected. “Now, after one moment, a lot of people know me because I scored.”

He says it with a mixture of pride and disbelief. The public reaction has caught him off guard.

“It’s still crazy for me,” he admitted. “Sometimes I can’t believe it happened. Today I finished training and a fan stopped me for a photo and said, ‘Good goal.’ That’s never happened before. That moment will always stay with me.”

For a goalkeeper, goals are usually experienced from the worst possible vantage point — turning to see the net ripple behind you. To feel the roar of the stadium in celebration rather than despair is something entirely different.

Confusion in the Dugout, Chaos on the Pitch

SL Benfica v Real Madrid C.F. – UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD8

What makes the story even more extraordinary is the confusion that preceded the winner.

Benfica believed they were safe at 3-2. Manager Jose Mourinho had enforced a technology ban in the dugout, limiting real-time updates. Under the impression that the scoreline was sufficient, he instructed his goalkeeper to manage the clock rather than gamble forward.

Trubin, following orders, slowed the tempo.

“I didn’t understand why the fans started screaming,” he said with a laugh. “We were winning, so I didn’t need to rush. Some teammates were pointing at me — ‘one, one, one’ — but I didn’t get it.”

The message filtered through only when the noise became impossible to ignore. Benfica still needed one more goal.

“When we won the free kick, Mister signalled for me to go up,” Trubin explained. “That’s when I asked someone, ‘Do we need one more goal?’”

It sounds almost comical in hindsight — a goalkeeper asking whether his side requires him in the box with seconds remaining. But football, at its most dramatic, rarely unfolds neatly.

“The Movement of My Head Was Like I Was a Striker”

Once the decision was made, there was no hesitation.

Midfielder Fredrik Aursnes delivered what Trubin described as a “perfect” cross. The Ukrainian surged into the penalty area, abandoning the caution that defines his usual trade.

“When you play, you don’t think,” he said. “You just do. It happened so fast. Maybe because the cross was perfect, maybe because it had to happen — for me it felt natural.”

In that split second, instinct replaced identity.

“In this moment, you need to risk. You put everything all in. If I need to score, I need to go right in there, to make our fans happy, to make Benfica better. I just ran. And then the movement of my head — it was like I was a striker. It was crazy.”

The image of a goalkeeper attacking the ball with centre-forward conviction will live long in Champions League folklore. It wasn’t a hopeful flick. It was decisive. Clinical.

Like a striker.

Courtois Proves His Class After Heartbreaking Defeat

For all the delirium surrounding Benfica’s winner, the night’s most lasting memory for Trubin may be what happened next.

Courtois, nursing the pain of a dramatic defeat, walked across to congratulate him.

“I respect every goalkeeper a lot, especially Courtois,” Trubin said. “But after this moment, for me he’s even more special.”

It is not easy to show grace in defeat — particularly for a club accustomed to European dominance.

“After a difficult defeat, he came to me with a smile to say congratulations,” Trubin continued. “It showed me he’s not just one of the best on the pitch, but off the pitch too. It’s a good example for the younger generation. After a tough defeat, you can show respect.”

In an era when football narratives often gravitate toward controversy and confrontation, that quiet exchange carried weight. One goalkeeper acknowledging another’s once-in-a-lifetime moment.

The Rematch: A Wounded King

As fate would have it, the Champions League play-off draw has paired Benfica and Real Madrid once again.

Mourinho, never short of a headline, has already framed the tie in suitably dramatic language.

“They are wounded,” he warned. “And a wounded king is dangerous.”

The suggestion is clear: Real Madrid will arrive seeking retribution.

Yet Mourinho also moved quickly to temper expectations of a repeat cameo from his goalkeeper.

“Trubin won’t be in the attack at the Luz stadium,” he joked.

Lightning rarely strikes twice — especially for goalkeepers in opposition penalty areas. But Benfica’s belief has been reinforced by what they achieved.

SL Benfica v Real Madrid C.F. – UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD8

Benfica’s Turbulent Season, Reignited

The European resurgence arrives against a complicated domestic backdrop. Benfica had fallen ten points adrift in the league at one stage, prompting questions about consistency and direction.

Yet nights like this can alter momentum in ways statistics cannot quantify.

For Trubin, the draw held little fear.

“It was either Inter or Real. I don’t care who we play,” he said calmly. “But because it’s Real, it will be more emotional because of that last game.”

Emotion, of course, cuts both ways.

Real Madrid’s pedigree in this competition is unmatched. They do not panic easily. But they will not forget conceding a stoppage-time header to a goalkeeper.

A Goal That Changes Perception

For Trubin personally, the goal has shifted how he is perceived.

Goalkeepers rarely occupy headline space unless something has gone wrong. Their excellence is measured in prevention, not production.

Yet in one moment, he stepped beyond that role. He became a symbol of risk rewarded — of a team refusing to accept elimination quietly.

He knows the attention will fade. Clean sheets, reflex saves and calm distribution will define his career far more than a single header.

But that header — that leap, that connection, that roar — will never disappear.

“It will always be with me,” he said softly.

And perhaps that is the beauty of it.

A goalkeeper who, just for a moment, moved like a striker.

A king dethroned, if only for a night.

And a gesture of respect that proved greatness is measured not only in trophies — but in character.