‘We knew that he could do it’ - Mourinho reveals how his tactical move could have cost Benfica

Jose Mourinho has confessed that a tactical miscalculation nearly cost his Benfica side a place in the Champions League last-16.

Benfica got a dramatic late goal from goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin, securing a 4-2 victory over Real Madrid.

In a chaotic encounter that saw Real Madrid finish with nine men, Mourinho initially set his team up to defend a 3-2 lead, believing it was enough to secure a win. 

However, a frantic late adjustment was required when he was informed that another goal was necessary.

The thrilling result saw Benfica advance to the play-off round, while Real Madrid narrowly missed out on automatic qualification for the knockout stages.

What Mourinho said

Mourinho had to take a huge chance since his team needed to score two more goals. With Real Madrid already reduced to ten men, he pushed former Manchester City defender Nicolas Otamendi into an attacking role. 

"When I substituted António Silva and Ivanovic, I had no idea if 3-2 was enough," Mourinho explained. "I just wanted to close the door and I thought it was enough."

"When I was told we needed one more goal, honestly, I was upset. I was thinking, ‘Why was I not told a few seconds before?’"

The chaos escalated as Real Madrid's Raul Asensio and Rodrygo were both sent off in the final moments. Despite the confusion, Mourinho praised his team's spirit.

"When we realised it wasn’t enough and they were down to ten men, I sent Nico [Otamendi] to play up front," he continued. 

"When the foul came, I sent Trubin forward... We kept the pride because that was my challenge to the players before the game: ‘If we don’t qualify, we have to win.’"

While it was Trubin's first-ever career goal, Mourinho claimed he was confident the goalkeeper had it in him.

"We knew that he could do it," the manager insisted. "We were losing in Porto a couple of weeks ago and in the last minute, he went there and almost scored. 

“So we know the big guy is capable of this. The quality of the service is, of course, the most important thing... but it’s an amazing goal for the guy."

Then, for a last-gasp free-kick, he sent goalkeeper Trubin forward, a move that paid off spectacularly as the keeper scored to seal the 4-2 win and spark wild celebrations.