Antonio Rudiger and Mateo Kovacic are close friends, but the former may have been the reason his ex-teammate missed a crucial penalty.
- Antonio Rudiger’s assistance to Andriy Lunin may have been the decisive factor in Real Madrid’s victory against Manchester City.
- The defender helped his teammate save Mateo Kovacic’s penalty during the shootout.
- Rudiger and Kovacic are close friends after spending four years together at Chelsea.
Antonio Rudiger may have played an even bigger role in Real Madrid’s Champions League triumph over Manchester City than most realise after he appeared to assist Andriy Lunin in saving Mateo Kovacic’s penalty. After a 1-1 draw on the night, the tie was level at 4-4 after extra-time and required a shootout to determine who would progress to the semi-final.
Rodrygo had given the away side an early lead after slotting home the rebound after seeing his initial effort saved by Ederson. Los Blancos then entered defensive mode for the remainder of the game, with the Citizens finally finding a way through in the 76th minute.
Kevin De Bruyne was on hand to fire the ball into the roof of the net after Rudiger failed to clear his lines from a Jeremy Doku cross into the box. More big chances fell to the home side, but an impressive rear-guard display and some incredible saves from Lunin kept the game level through extra-time.
| Man City vs Real Madrid Statistics | ||
|---|---|---|
| Stat | Man City | Real Madrid |
| Goals | 1 | 1 |
| Expected Goals | 2.74 | 1.44 |
| Possession | 67% | 33% |
| Total Shots | 33 | 8 |
| Shots on Target | 9 | 3 |
| Big Chances | 3 | 3 |
| Big Chances Missed | 2 | 2 |
Rudiger’s Role in Kovacic Penalty Miss
Defender helped his goalkeeper out
City and Real Madrid had both scored one and missed one when it was time for Kovacic to step up to take his spot-kick. Julian Alvarez and Jude Bellingham had netted for their respective sides, while experienced midfielders Luka Modric and Bernardo Silva both missed.
Bernardo Silva produced one of the worst penalties in recent memory as Real Madrid dumped Manchester City out of the Champions League.
The Croatian is a composed player on the ball and many would have expected him to slot the ball into the net but, instead, his effort was thwarted by Lunin. This would prove to be costly for Pep Guardiola’s men as the visitors went on to score the remainder of their penalties and win 4-3.
Footage has emerged showing Rudiger standing with his teammates on the half-way line, pointing to the corner Kovacic would eventually shoot towards. It’s unclear whether Lunin actually saw his German colleague’s gesture, but the Ukrainian went the right way and kept the ball out. Rudiger would have another telling moment as he was the man to score the winning penalty. Watch the footage below:
Rudiger and Kovacic are Close Friends
The pair were former teammates at Chelsea
Both Kovacic and Rudiger used to be at Chelsea together and the latter even went on record recently to confirm the Croat is his closest friend in the sport. The 31-year-old said: “My best friend in football is Mateo Kovacic.” Watch the clip:
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Antonio Rudiger and Mateo Kovacic played 118 games together for Chelsea between 2018 and 2022.
This could point to the reason he knew where Kovacic was going to place his penalty, with their friendship ultimately costing the Man City midfielder. The Spanish side will now face Bayern Munich in the final four as the German outfit defeated Arsenal 3-2 on aggregate in the other quarter-final on the night.
The 14-time European champions would then face either Borussia Dortmund or Paris Saint-Germain in the final should they progress past Bayern. Man City are now left competing for the FA Cup and Premier League title, meaning a double is still achievable for Guardiola’s team.