Are we at the dawn of a new epic European campaign on Real’s side? After the incredible scenarios of last season, the Merengues fought once again until the end of extra time to validate their ticket for the 8th.
Thirty-five seconds after returning from the locker room (46th), Bogdan Mykhaylichenko’s center from the left finds Oleksandr’s head at the far post Zubkov, abandoned for marking by Ferland Mendy.
Déjà buteur au Santiago-Bernabéu à aller (2-1) the semaine dernière d’un superbe ciseau acrobatique (et déjà sur un service de Mykhaylichenko), Zubkov s’est ainsi offert un deuxième but de prestige face à la “Maison white”.
But at the end of the evening, on a long cross from compatriot Toni Kroos, Antonio Rüdiger, perfect throughout the game in his defensive functionspopped up to land a header that saved Real in their first defeat of the season.
But the shock with the opposing goalkeeper led to a brief interruption: the German, who arrived in Madrid this summer, had to go out to wipe the blood that ran on his face, and the Ukrainian goalkeeper Anatolii Trubin ended the match with his head. bandaged.
Danger, disappointment
Shakhtar Donetsk, forced to move to Warsaw for this game that should be at home in Warsaw due to the war in Ukraine, will long remember this opposition, and this victory that stretched his arms, for the first time since the double win against the Madrid in 2020 (3-2 2-0).
Despite everything, it is with some doubt that Karim’s teammates Benzemastill starter after blowing this weekend, he approaches the clasico on Sunday against FC Barcelona.
Carlo Ancelotti will have to make some adjustments. The Italian coach, who had launched Eden Hazard in his starting lineup to try to restore confidence to the Belgian striker, eliminated him in the 57th minute to bring Vinicius onto the field. At the same time, Aurélien Tchouaméni gave way to Luka Modric.
Ten minutes later “Carletto” then attempted a triple change ten minutes later (Marco Asensio, Eduardo Camavinga and David Alaba in place of Rodrygo, Fede Valverde and Ferland Mendy) … but the effects were slow to be felt.
Because the humiliation could have been worse for Madrid: in the 65th minute Lassina Traoré lost a duel against Andriy Lunin, but then tried her luck after canceling it but her attempt hit the top of the crossbar before exiting, giving the via Merengue cold sweats.
As is customary since last year, Real saved the furniture. But he will still have to fight in Leipzig to secure first place in the group. And the draw against Shakhtar cannot satisfy the fans of the “White House”, already in turmoil for the clasico’s approach to the summit, on Sunday at the Santiago-Bernabéu.
