Real Madrid once again appealed to the epic to eliminate the current Champions League champion, Manchester City, and get into the semifinals. He held out for 120 minutes, including extra time, and finally made it to the penalty shootout. It had already been decisive in regulation time and from eleven meters Andriy Lunin became the hero of the tie with two saves.
“I’m exhausted. I’ve never had a game like this in my career,” said the goalkeeper after the match at the Etihad Stadium. The whites started the shootout with a mistake by Modric, but they recovered immediately with the Ukrainian’s first stop on Bernardo Silva, who meekly shot through the center into the hands of a Lunin who did not move. “We had to take a risk with a shot and it turned out well,” he said of the Portuguese’s shot.
The goalkeeper stopped Kovacic’s final shot with a dive to his right. “We’ve talked about all the players who could pitch. They’ve all helped me,” he added. Afterwards, Madrid did not fail from the fatal spot, with goals from Lucas Vázquez, Nacho and the one from Rüdiger’s pass.
The goalkeeper downplayed his performance and highlighted the collective work: “There are games in which you have to suffer, you can’t always play with the ball. You can’t always be better than your opponent. It’s a great experience for me. The team has made a great effort. I can’t imagine running like that for even five minutes.”
One of those who had the most work was Nacho, substitute for the suspended Tchouaméni and in many plays the marker for Haaland who left without seeing the goal. “We have suffered a lot but we are Madrid. We fought until the end. The important thing is that we are in the semifinals,” said the defender.
“This team has an impressive pride. We are not used to being subdued. Normally we submit. But we have shown the other side, we know how to defend spectacularly,” he analyzed about the match, in addition to acknowledging that he got “goosebumps” with the pass. “They are magical nights, the kind you dream about as a child,” explained Nacho, who already has the next game in mind: “We have to celebrate it today and tomorrow. Then think about the classic.”
After the performance of his pupils, Carlo Ancelotti only had praise coming out of his mouth: “On a defensive level we have to manage many things. We have defended very very well. Real Madrid has done this exercise many times. It is this shield. Never “We have to kill Madrid because Madrid never dies.”
Despite the great effort of his players, the Italian assured that they have no “physical problems” and that “they have time” to arrive in full condition for the classic against Barça on Sunday. “In the shootout we were convinced. Lunin was fantastic. I really like it when I see a team that sacrifices itself, that fights. We could only win this way,” he insisted.
Ancelotti greeted Guardiola affectionately after the outcome. “Guardiola has congratulated me. He has wished us luck. He has been a gentleman as always. Manchester City is a gentlemen’s club,” concluded the transalpine coach.
