Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has revealed that Antonio Rudiger was chosen as their fifth penalty contractor for their shootout against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League based on the expression of one of his other options. The German defender stepped up to dismiss the winner for Los Blancos and made their progress at the quarterfinals.
Ancelotti and his staff sent Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, Fede Valverde and Lucas Vazquez for their first four penalties in the Metropolitano, where the last saw his last saved by Jan Oblak. It was between Endrick Felipe or Rudiger about who would take what would probably be a decisive fine.
“We hesitated about choosing Endrick or rüdeliger. Then I looked at Endrick's face and said, “Better from Rudiger,” Ancelotti told Marca on Wednesday evening.
The Italian manager also claimed that he did not take Vinicius Junior on Wednesday evening to prevent him from taking a second penalty after missing one during the normal time. The Brazilian superstar was replaced by Endrick in the 115th minute, only five before the game went to penalties. Ancelotti was asked to clarify whether Endrick was initially specifically set to take a fine.
“No. He came up because Vinicius was tired, exhausted and we wanted a new player, nothing else.”
Before the game, Ancelotti had discussed extensively about his theory about penalty shootouts, and noted that it had little to do with experience or technology about whom he would rather take fines, but who are self -confident to take one.
Ancelotti was of course at the end of perhaps the most painful defeat in the history of the Penalty Shootout, after his AC Milan saw a lead of three goals slipping against Liverpool in the Champions League final of 2005, only for Jerzy Dudek to become the hero for the Reds.
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