Warsaw: Antonio Rudiger didn’t care about his body and put it on the line against Shakhtar Donestk to salvage a 1-1 draw for Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League at the Polish Army Stadium in Warsaw.Also Read – Footballer Iker Cassilas Deletes Tweet On Coming Out As Gay, Blames It On A Hacker Later
‘What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger I am okay – thanks for all your messages #Hustle #AlwaysBelieve’, Rudiger wrote on Instagram after the match. Also Read – Bayern Munich vs FC Barcelona, UEFA Champions League Live Streaming: When and Where to Watch Online and on TV
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Rudiger uploaded a picture on his Insta story with the caption ‘We Alive’. The German international can be seen with a bandage covering his right eye.
Antonio collided with goalkeeper Anatolli Rubin while scoring the equalising goal, which left him bloody-face.
It seemed like Madrid were poised to lose their first match of the season across all competitions, but Rudiger headed home from Toni Kroos’s cross in the fifth minute of five added on.
Shakhtar took a surprise lead at the start of the second half, with Lucas Vazquez failing to cut out Bogdan Mykhaylichenko’s cross and Zubkov getting the jump on Mendy to head home.
Ancelotti responded by withdrawing Belgian playmaker Eden Hazard, who failed to make an impact in an attacking midfield role, and threw on Vinicius and Luka Modric.
Still, the Ukrainian side, filled with youth players after many senior squad members departed because of the war, were tireless.
Pouring forward, Zubkov played in Lassina Traore, who was first denied by Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, and then the crossbar, coming inches from the second goal.
Lunin was forced into another save by the electric Zubkov from distance and Ancelotti threw on more stars from the bench, with David Alaba, Eduardo Camavinga and Marco Asensio entering the fray.
It looked like Madrid’s unbeaten streak was up, but Rudiger’s bravery at the last meant they have not tasted defeat in 13 matches, and will be in the last 16 of the Champions League, come February 2023.
(With Inputs From AFP)