Carlo Ancelotti praises Real Madrid star, Antonio Rudiger. Following Antonio Rudiger’s outstanding performance in the UEFA Champions League semifinal first leg against Manchester City on Tuesday (May 9), Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti showered the center-back with plaudits.
The current league champions and City tied 1-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu. Vinicius Junior scored the game’s first goal for Madrid in the 36th minute, but a Kevin De Bruyne goal in the 67th minute gave the visitors the lead back.
Erling Haaland, the prolific scorer for Manchester City, failed to make an impact. and Rudiger’s faultless defense was much to blame. The former Chelsea player did not back down from the imposing Norwegian and remained in view the entire evening. Ancelotti lavished praise on Rudiger for the effort he put in.
According to Ancelotti (via Metro): “Tony Rudiger is fantastic, Superior performance. He was excellent; he is a skilled player with a lot of experience. Although it wasn’t simple, he played well. I’m overjoyed with Toni.”
Rudiger performed three clearances, and three recoveries, and won two aerial duels. Haaland, who has 51 goals in 47 appearances across competitions this season, was closely watched and only touched the ball 21 times.
Real Madrid’s Antonio Rudiger is convinced they can defeat Manchester City at Etihad:
Following a strong performance, Antonio Rudiger has declared that Real Madrid will go to the Etihad Stadium for the second leg next week with confidence.
He praised Kevin De Bruyne’s beautiful pile driver from outside the box but claimed Pep Guardiola’s team was not in danger (via Metro): “We believe we could have had more, but it’s not a concern because they scored very late. We can confidently travel to Manchester knowing that the match is unquestionably on. They weren’t dangerous at the conclusion of the day. They owned a lot of things. They were not dangerous, but we were aware that it would happen. The aim is for De Bruyne to produce quality.”
Rudiger said when asked if Real Madrid might defeat the Cityzens in Manchester on May 17: “Our team is Real Madrid. We have faith in everything.”
Madrid had more shots (13 vs. 10), but Manchester City had more possession (56% vs. 44%) and more passes completed (512 vs. 392). Additionally, Ancelotti’s team finished the contest with a stronger xG rating (0.7 vs. 0.55).
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