Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson fails to make a save as Real Madrid’s Antonio Rudiger scores the winning penalty during the Champions League quarter-final second leg match. — AP
ANTONIO Rudiger stared down the goalkeeper, took a deep breath, and drilled home the decisive penalty, proving once again there is no tougher task in club football than beating Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Real’s victory over Manchester City after a penalty shootout sent them to a record 17th semi-final appearance and kept them on course to add to their unequalled haul of 14 European Cups.
It was fitting that Rudiger finished off City after he anchored a spirited defensive effort by Real that weathered wave after wave of attacks by Pep Guardiola’s side.
For Real coach Carlo Ancelotti, it was a question of survival.
Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne celebrates after scoring his team’s first and equalising goal. — AFP
“There was only one way to get out of here alive. We had to dig in and fight hard,” Ancelotti said.
“We showed the attitude and commitment demanded by this jersey. This is a very special competition for us and we always deliver something that people are not expecting us to produce. Everyone was writing us off but we’re still here.”
Those football purists who delight in Guardiola’s passing-and-pressure game (think Barcelona fans) like to say Real lack a distinctive style.
But as Ancelotti has said, he doesn’t want his team to have a “set philosophy” that would make them predictable; his team must be chameleonic so they can adapt to each rival, each game, each moment.
Real’s top scorer Jude Bellingham credited Ancelotti with letting his players expose their individual talents in order to make the team versatile.
“I think our biggest strength is that he finds a way to let our boys play with freedom,” Bellingham said. “Some teams are a bit more structured in terms of their passing styles and their patterns of play. And it is really interesting to watch and it is definitely difficult to play against, but I think one of our biggest strengths is that we are so off the cuff.”
City completely dominated the ball in the away leg of their quarter-final in Manchester – even though it never led and needed Kevin De Bruyne to cancel out Rodrygo’s opener – and hemmed mighty Real into their box for most of the match and extra time.
But Real showed that their strength lie in their ability to do whatever is needed to get a win. Ancelotti’s bunch matched City’s scoring prowess last week in the 3-3 draw in Spain’s capital, and then at the Etihad they had no qualms packing their area and hanging on for dear life.
Rudiger solidified his status as Madrid’s sheriff at the back. The Germany player has also helped Real lead the Spanish league after fellow central defenders David Alaba and Eder Militao went down with injury earlier in the season.
Rodrygo jumps for joy after putting Real ahead in the match. — AFP
Last season, when City beat Real in the semi-final on their way to winning the title, Rudiger was left on the bench at the start of a 4-0 loss in Manchester. This time, he played both legs that ended 4-4 on aggregate.
De Bruyne’s equaliser came after Rudiger’s only blemish of an otherwise superb outing when the City midfielder fired in a ball the defender failed to clear. Otherwise, Rudiger bossed the area and again kept Erling Haaland scoreless.
“Normally, we’re the ones who dominate our opponents,” said Nacho Fernandez, Rudiger’s partner in central defence who also scored in the shootout.
“We showed the other side, defending spectacularly and doing an incredible job in the lower-middle block.”
And when City’s talented passers did manage to create a rare opening in Real’s box, there was Andriy Lunin to stop them.
The Ukrainian goalkeeper entered the pre-season as the back-up to the injured Courtois Thibaut and had to earn the starting job after Kepa Arrizabalaga’s arrival. Lunin was the team’s saviour that night after stopping penalties by Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic. His saves tilted the shootout in Real’s favour after Luka Modric missed their first kick.
Rudiger may have even played a part in Lunin’s save of Kovacic’s try. Rudiger gestured to Lunin that Kovacic, who Rudiger played with at Chelsea, would shoot to Lunin’s right – and he was right.
Lunin said he was “exhausted” after helping to defend 18 corners – to one for Real – and absorb 34 goal attempts by City.
“You can’t always play with the ball or be the best team on the pitch,” Lunin said. “It was an amazing experience for me and the team put in an incredible effort for the 120 minutes.”
Guardiola praised his team’s effort and recognised that to best Real, which also knocked his team out two years ago when Rodrygo sparked a late comeback, required more than just a good game.
“To beat Real Madrid, we had to perform our best,” the Catalan coach said.
“We were our best but it was not enough.”
Real measure the success of their season on whether or not they win the Champions League. Next up they will face Bayern Munich in another classic continental rivalry.
“We’re delighted, but we’re very tired,” Ancelotti said after the match.
“Now we have to celebrate because it’s a very important qualification.” — AP
