Jose Mourinho has revealed he told Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen he was 'lucky' to lose only 4-2, after Benfica secured a dramatic Champions League victory on Wednesday night. The Portuguese side triumphed at the Estadio da Luz thanks to a stoppage-time header from goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin, which sealed their place in the play-offs.
Benfica needed one more goal to advance on goals scored, and with Madrid reduced to nine men after Raul Asencio and Rodrygo were sent off, Trubin was sent forward for a free-kick deep into stoppage time. The Ukrainian rose highest to beat Thibaut Courtois with a powerful header, sparking wild celebrations.
Mourinho, who coached Madrid from 2010 to 2013, told TNT Sports: 'We knew that he could do it. We were losing in Porto a couple of weeks ago, he went up there and almost scored. The quality of the service is the most important thing.' The 61-year-old also revealed that his initial information was that Benfica had enough goals, but later he was told they needed one more, adding: 'That was the lucky point, to get the free-kick to allow us to go there with the big guy.'
After the match, Mourinho was seen speaking with Huijsen in the tunnel. The defender, who previously played under Mourinho at Roma, was reportedly greeted with a 'F***inghell' from the Portuguese boss. Speaking about the exchange, Mourinho said: 'Dean was my player at Roma, he's friends with my kids. We were just speaking about the game and the kid is disappointed. But I was telling him, 'You were lucky! You were lucky to lose only 4-2', because it could be more.'
Benfica's hero Trubin was almost lost for words, saying: 'For me, it's unbelievable, something I have never had before. Everyone on the bench and players shouted to me to go. I asked if we need one more goal. Maybe I still cannot understand it, but it's crazy – such an important goal for us, for the fans, for Benfica.'
