The German had his best game as a Real Madrid player, stopping a player who seemed unstoppable
Real Madrid went out this Tuesday at the Santiago Bernabéu against Manchester City with its eleven gala except one player: Éder Militao was not there due to suspension and Antonio Rüdiger played. The German had doubts at the start of the campaign, something normal when you change teams, there is always an adjustment period, but in 2023, with Alaba’s injury, the German made a place for himself in the eleven and little by little he got more and more better and better until he reached a high level.
The return of the Austrian took him out of the eleven again in this last part of the season, but he has played all games in this 2023 except two (Elche by half time and Valladolid by a blow). He has the confidence of everyone, he fell on his feet in the dressing room and only the great level of Militao and Alaba has taken him out of the eleven in these last decisive duels.
However, Militao’s suspension opened the door for him to start in one of the games of the year. It was up to Erling Haaland to measure himself and Rüdiger not only accepted the challenge, but also fulfilled it. And by far. The German was extraordinary, he was the shadow of the Norwegian who barely let him breathe. Haaland played one of his toughest, most complex and uncomfortable games and it was mainly due to his work.
In fact, the doubts left by Militao in recent games and Rüdiger’s stellar performance in this memorable encounter invite us to consider the possibility of the German having a chance to take ownership again in Manchester. Ancelotti himself dropped it in the press room. “If you could also play in the return? OK, yes. Rüdiger played a fantastic game, it should be clearly marked, but like everyone else. Defensively, we did very well. They didn’t create many chances for us.”
Source: Goal