Real Madrid’s Andriy Lunin Leads Team to Champions League Semi-finals With Heroic Penalty Saves

The penalty shoot-out that eliminated Manchester City from the quarter-finals of the Champions League and qualified Real Madrid for the semi-finals of the continent’s premier competition was shrouded in mystery. .

The second leg of the quarter-finals ended in a 1-1 draw after the end of regular and extra time, so penalty kicks were decided.

The summit saw the excellence of Ukrainian Andriy Lunin, the goalkeeper of the Spanish capital club, by saving two penalty kicks at the Al-Ittihad Stadium, City’s stronghold.

Lunin saved two penalties from Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic before Antonio Rudiger stepped up to give the Spanish side qualification.

Lunin then spoke about how Real Madrid identified three City players who were likely to take penalties in the middle, and that hunt paid off when Bernardo Silva fired a kick straight into his arms.

🧤 🇺🇦 Andriy Lunin, at the microphone @sierraplus

🥵 “I’m tired. This is the first 120-minute game with this level of demand on me”

😍👏 “We prepared all the kits. We have to take a risk with one and I stayed with Bernardo Silva”

🦹 Hero of the rooms. pic.twitter.com/pBbGGgA4GL

– El Larguero (@ellarguero) April 17, 2024

Lunin also pounced on Kovacic’s kick as he jumped to the right and successfully blocked it.

Lunin told the Spanish newspaper “Marca”: “We were preparing for this with the goalkeeper coach, and there were 3 players we doubted if we would stay in the middle when we shot them.

The Ukrainian goalkeeper revealed that the decision to stay was made before they were fired.

He said: “I had to risk one of the kicks. We chose one (to stay in the middle), and thank God it came in our favor.”

I still don’t understand why Lunin didn’t move for Bernardo Silva’s penalty 🤣pic.twitter.com/vgZgPCH33G

— Sergio ⭐ (@sergio_de_ennin) 18/4/2024

Other factors

Another factor that contributed to the victory was that some Real Madrid players refused to take penalty kicks.

City goalkeeper Ederson blocked Luka Modric’s shot when he took Real’s first kick, but Jude Bellingham, Lucas Vazquez, Nacho and Rudiger scored.

“Marca” pointed out that Eder Militao refused to take the penalty kick, because his Brazilian teammate Ederson knows the direction he is shooting.

Federico Valverde also refused to be among the five players appointed to take the penalty kicks, as he was suffering from fatigue after extra time.

Instead, Modric and Vazquez came on, who came on as substitutes and were in better shape.

The reigning champions are out!

Real Madrid has done it! 4-3 shootout winners! They will face Bayern in the semi-final! @ManCity ⭕️✖️✖️⭕️⭕️@Real Madrid ✖️⭕️⭕️⭕️⭕️#beINUCL #UCL #MCIRMA pic.twitter.com/P9SLFFB4a4

— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) April 17, 2024

The role of Kepa and Rudiger

Another Real Madrid goalkeeper, Kepa – who lost his place to Lunin several months ago – played a role in stopping City’s penalty kicks.

David Ancelotti, coach Carlo’s son and assistant, explained that Kepa helped improve Real Madrid’s line-up in winning penalty kicks in the final stages of extra time.

Kepa spoke to Lunin during the break before the penalty shootout to give his advice.

Rudiger also helped goalkeeper Lunin when he told him which way Kovacic should take the penalty kick.

The footage showed Rudiger frantically pointing his left hand – to the goalkeeper’s right – in the moments before his former Chelsea team-mate took a penalty.

Lunin managed to block Kovacic’s shot, putting Real Madrid on course to reach the semi-finals.

Rudiger did everything in the game, even helping Real Madrid goalkeeper Lunin save a penalty kick from Manchester City’s Kovacic.https://t.co/eKurXLbYAz pic.twitter.com/M4jwWuO8ll

– Al Jazeera Net Sports (@AJASports) 18/4/2024

This save was the turning point in the penalty shootout, as Real Madrid go on to win the last 4 penalty kicks and qualify for the semi-finals final.

A royal savior

Andriy Lunin joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2018 as the third goalkeeper of the Ukrainian League for $9 million.

33 shots | 1 goal conceded

Give Andriy Lunin his 💐 pic.twitter.com/17tgObbvHM

– Relevant Sports (@releventsports) 18/4/2024

Lunin needed a long period of patience to become a Real Madrid defender, as the club loaned him three times to Leganes, Real Valladolid and Real Oviedo Then, after the injury of the Belgian Thibaut Courtois, the main -keeper, the technical staff advised the management to sign a new goalkeeper, the Spaniard Kepa.

But he was able to overturn the reports, prove himself, and take his place in the starting lineup, and put Kepa, who was on loan from Chelsea, on the bench.

The Ukraine international set a personal record after stopping 9 shots in the first leg of Germany’s Leipzig in the round of 16, before stopping 8 shots in yesterday’s game against City with two penalty kicks that gave his team the qualification card.

Andrey Lunin expressed his happiness to add to his team’s qualification, and said: “I am the happiest person in the world right now for their support.”