Carlo Ancelotti snubbed Real Madrid star for penalty after seeing face

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has revealed that Antonio Rudiger was chosen as their fifth penalty taker for their shootout against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League based on the expression of one of his other options. The German defender stepped up to fire the winner for Los Blancos, securing their progress to the quarter-finals.

Ancelotti and his staff sent up Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, Fede Valverde and Lucas Vazquez for their first four penalties at the Metropolitano, with the latter seeing his saved by Jan Oblak. It was between Endrick Felipe or Rudiger as to who would take what was likely to be a decisive penalty.

“We were hesitant about choosing Endrick or Rüdiger. Then I looked at Endrick’s face and said, ‘better off with Rudiger’,” Ancelotti told Marca on Wednesday night.

The Italian manager also claimed that he did not take off Vinicius Junior on Wednesday night to avoid him taking a second penalty, having missed one during normal time. The Brazilian superstar was replaced by Endrick in the 115th minute, just five before the game went to penalties. Ancelotti was asked to clarify whether Endrick had initially been put on specifically to take a penalty.

“No. He came on because Vinicius was tired, exhausted, and we wanted a fresh player, nothing else.”

Before the game, Ancelotti had spoken at length about his theory on penalty shootouts, noting that it was little to do with experience or technique as to who he prefers to take penalties, but rather who feels confident about taking one.

Ancelotti of course was on the end of arguably the most agonising defeat in penalty shootout history, after his AC Milan saw a three-goal lead slip away against Liverpool in the 2005 Champions League final, only for Jerzy Dudek to become the hero for the Reds.