Antonio Rudiger: Toni Kroos Confesses He Didn’t Trust Madrid Star to Score Winning Penalty vs City

Antonio Rudiger: Toni Kroos Confesses He Didn’t Trust Madrid Star to Score Winning Penalty vs City

Godwin Nii Armah Tagoe
April 18, 2024 at 9:50 AM
In this article:
Toni Kroos logo
T. Kroos
-MGermany logo
Antonio Rüdiger logo
A. Rüdiger
Real Madrid logoDGermany logo
Real Madrid logo
Real Madrid
Spain
37
Manchester City logo
Manchester City
England
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UEFA Champions League logo
UEFA Champions League
  • Toni Kroos has opened up about his honest feelings about Antonio Rudiger's penalty
  • The German defender scored the crucial spot-kick to help Real Madrid beat Man City
  • Los Blancos will now cross swords with Bayern Munich for a spot in the Grand Finale

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Real Madrid midfielder, Toni Kroos, has offered his candid assessment of Antonio Rudiger's penalty during the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Manchester City.

Rudiger emerged as an unlikely hero for Los Blancos, scoring the crucial spot-kick that propelled his team into the semi-finals of Europe's premier club competition.

Antonio Rudiger, Toni Kroos, Real Madrid, penalty, shootouts, Manchester City, Champions League, feelings, honest.
Vinicius Junior and Toni Kroos celebrate with Antonio Rudiger after the latter scored the match-winning penalty. Photo by Antonio Villalba.
Source: Getty Images

Despite being partly at fault for Man City's equaliser, the German centre-half had a close-range chance to secure victory in extra time that went begging.

However, he redeemed himself by calmly slotting home the decisive penalty, leading the Spanish giants to a 4-3 shootout victory after the match ended 1-1 on the night and 4-4 on aggregate.

Interestingly, the 31-year-old is not known for his prowess from the penalty spot, which surprised many, including his German compatriot and teammate Toni Kroos.

The experienced midfielder admitted that he had not expected Rudiger to successfully convert the penalty, especially given its pivotal role in deciding the match's outcome.

“Advice for Rüdiger? He's the only one I didn't trust to take a penalty (laughs),” he said as quoted by MadridXtra.

Rudiger finds spiritual moment after winning penalty

Still on Rudiger, the ex-Chelsea defender found a spiritual moment after his winning penalty helped Real Madrid advance past Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday evening, as reported by Sports Brief.

The German defender's stellar performance thwarted City's attacking threats, earning praise.

Rudiger, visibly grateful, attributed the victory to a higher power, praising Allah (God) in a moment of reflection and celebration.

Bellingham lauds Real Madrid's mentality

Sports Brief also reported that Jude Bellingham lauded Real Madrid's mental strength as they prevailed in a penalty shoot-out, ousting Manchester City from the Champions League.

The 20-year-old, a key player in Los Blancos' 4-3 victory on penalties, credited their success to coach Carlo Ancelotti's cultivation of belief and resilience under pressure.

Authors
Godwin Nii Armah Tagoe photo
Godwin Nii Armah Tagoe
Godwin Nii Armah Tagoe is a Ligue 1, Bundesliga, and La Liga editor with five-year experience. He previously worked with Sports Corna and 360SportsGH.
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