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According to Relevo, Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger was very surprised at being dropped against Manchester City in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-finals. Eder Militao started in place of the German.
The former Chelsea stat put in a great performance in the first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu and managed to keep Erling Haaland at bay. After that display, he expected to start in the second leg, which didn't happen.
According to the report, his teammates were also a bit taken aback at the call. Los Blancos suffered a 4-0 defeat at the Etihad, with City's third goal, scored by Manuel Akanji, deflecting off Militao to end up at the back of the net.
Florentino Perez reportedly had a chat with Rudiger after the game, which he appreciated.
The German central defender joined Real Madrid from Chelsea on a free transfer at the start of the season. He has since made 49 appearances for the club, helping them keep 17 clean sheets across competitions.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti reacts to the defeat against Manchester City
While it was evident that Real Madrid had a tough test in hand against Manchester City, few would have expected the Spanish giants to collapse the way they did during the 4-0 defeat.
It was a spectacular display from Pep Guardiola's team and a shambolic one from Carlo Ancelotti's. The Italian manager reacted to the defeat, telling the media afterwards (via Los Blancos' website):
"We played against opposition who deserved to win tonight because they played with more intensity and real quality in the first half. They really paved the way to the final there. They were better than us today, like we were last season. That can happen in a Champions League semi-final.”
He added:
"We didn’t manage to implement what we’d planned. It doesn’t have to be a drama. We have lost a game against superior opposition on the night. We can’t think the attitude wasn’t right for a Champions League semi-final. It’s just a step which means we have to try and be better next year.”
The loss brought an end to Los Blancos' hopes of winning two Champions League titles in a row and their 15th trophy overall.
