Real Madrid dropped by Mourinho’s Benfica into Champions League playoffs round alongside PSG

By Canadian Press on January 28, 2026.

Real Madrid was stunningly dumped into the qualifying playoffs of the Champions League by its former coach Jose Mourinho on Wednesday and will be joined there by Paris Saint-Germain.

Madrid started play third in the 36-team standings and despite two goals by Kylian Mbappé lost 4-2 at Benfica and fell to ninth — one place below advancing direct to the round of 16.

Astonishingly, Benfica only advanced to the knockout phase in 24th place on goal difference because goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scored in the eighth minute of stoppage time with a dramatic header when Madrid was down to nine players after two red cards.

Madrid fell out of the top-eight places when Sporting Lisbon got a stoppage-time goal in a 3-2 win at Athletic Bilbao.

Sporting joined Liverpool, Tottenham, Barcelona, Chelsea and Manchester City in sealing top-eight finishes. Table-topping Arsenal and second-place Bayern Munich had already advanced.

PSG and Newcastle both started in the top eight but drew 1-1 in Paris which sent both falling in the standings to 11th and 12th.

Madrid, PSG, Newcastle and last year’s beaten finalist Inter Milan all will be in the qualifying playoffs draw Friday for teams that placed ninth through 24th.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Graham Dunbar, The Associated Press