Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger played a big part in the side’s penalty shootout victory over Man City, but inside intelligence on a former Chelsea teammate may have also had an impact.

With the aggregate score locked at 4-4 after extra time of the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final between Man City and Real Madrid, the two teams had to be separated by a penalty shootout. Real came out as 4-3 winners with Rudiger scoring the winning penalty.

But it was a crucial save by goalkeeper Andriy Lunin earlier in the shootout that turned out to have made the difference. With both teams having scored and missed one spot kick each, former Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic stepped up for City.

It was at that point, that Rudiger’s insight into his former teammate has been noticed. While on the halfway line with the rest of his teammates, the defender can be seen showing Lunin where he thinks Kovacic will go by pointing to the left of the goal.

If it was spotted by the goalkeeper, then he took it on board. Kovacic did indeed shoot to his left, with Lunin diving the right way and keeping the effort out.

Lucas Vazquez, Nacho, and Rudiger himself then made no mistakes from the spot to send Real through to the semi-final of the competition. Rudiger’s intervention came just days after he named Kovacic as his ‘best friend in football’ on Real Madrid’s official YouTube channel.

The pair spent four years together at Stamford Bridge. Both were part of the Champions League winning squad of 2021.

Real Madrid will now go on to play Bayern Munich in the semi-final of this year’s edition of the competition. The German giants knocked Arsenal out at the quarter-final stage thanks to a 3-2 aggregate win.

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