Real Madrid adapts to Champions League needs: Shock and awe one week, armadillo defense the next
Antonio Rudiger stared down the goalkeeper, took a deep breath, and drilled home the decisive penalty, proving once again there is no tougher task in club soccer than beating Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Madrid’s victory over Manchester City after a penalty shootout on Wednesday sent it to a record 17th semifinal appearance and kept it on course to add to its unequaled haul of 14 European Cups.
It was fitting that Rudiger finished off City after he anchored a spirited defensive effort by Madrid that weathered wave after wave of attacks by Pep Guardiola’s side.
For Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti, it was a question of survival.
“There was only one way to get out of here alive. We had to dig in and fight hard,” Ancelotti said. “We showed the attitude and commitment demanded by this jersey. This is a very special competition for us and we always deliver something that people are not expecting us to produce. Everyone was writing us off but we’re still here.”
Those soccer purists who delight in Guardiola's passing-and-pressure game (think Barcelona fans) like to say Madrid lacks a distinctive style. But as Ancelotti has said, he doesn’t want his team to have a “set philosophy” that would make it predictable; his team must be chameleonic so it can adapt to each rival, each game, each moment.
Madrid’s top scorer Jude Bellingham credited Ancelotti with letting his players expose their individual talents in order to make the team versatile.
“I think our biggest strength is that he finds a way to let our boys play
