real Madrid He once again gave a show of character in the Etihad Stadium with qualification to the semifinals of the Champions League after winning on penalties against Manchester City. The tie was tied 4-4 in the 210 minutes (180 of regular time and 30 of extra time) of the key, giving way to shots from the penalty spot and the goalkeeper of the White House, Andriy Luninwas the great hero of the day with two hidden executions of Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovačić.
The 25-year-old Ukrainian goalkeeper showed confidence in each of those shots because in the case of the first save he stayed standing in the middle and the bet paid off because Silva’s weak attempt was stopped without complicationswhile he changed his choice for the second: he leaned on his right stick and fate winked at someone who had already appeared in a difficult moment with this shirt in this edition of the Champions League.
After playing two matches of the Orejona in the group stage last season against Shakhtar Donetsk With a balance of one victory (2-1) and one draw (1-1), his presence was necessary again in the fourth game of Group C, displacing Kepa from the starting lineup. After five minutes, he confirmed that the coach’s decision, Carlo Ancelottihad been correct because He covered a maximum penalty against Álvaro Djaló with the result being goalless last November 8th in the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
Subsequent goals from Brahim Diaz, Vinicius and Rodrygo sealed the local win 3-0, but that match was the starting point for a Lunin who took advantage of every opportunity he had starting this season with the injury of Thibaut Courtoiswho suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
The board, led by Florentino Pérez, chose to reinforce the position with the arrival of Kepa Arrizabalaga, on loan from Chelsea, but by dint of sacrifice he earned a place in the initial formation until he was the savior of Real Madrid this Wednesday in a matter with a very positive personal balance. According to data from the statistician Mister Chip, Andriy Lunin had a 36% efficiency in taking penalties throughout his career before the round against the Citizens. Besides, Transfermarkt shows that blocked 8 of 22 penalties taken in regulation time.
* The summary of Real Madrid’s classification
After the match, Andriy Lunin revealed the tactic he used to contain the shot from Bernard Silva. He specified that there were three players who could kick in the middle and he had to choose when to do it. “We prepared all those who remained to launch and we had to take a risk with one. Luckily (Bernardo’s) turned out well. In one you had to stay in the center“, he said between laughs.
“I’m tired. It’s the first game like this in my career. 120 minutes with this requirement. But many thanks to the team that has run, fought”, he deepened. And he added: “In these games you have to suffer. You can’t always have the ball, You can’t always be the best team on the field. For me it is a great experience. And the team made a great effort.”
The beginnings of his career focused on his nation of origin. He Metalist He sheltered him in his youth team until he left in 2015 for the Dnipro Under 19 team. He debuted in the First Division when he was 17 years old. in October 2016 against Karpaty and became an irreplaceable piece. His coach at the time, Dmytro Mykhaylenko, praised him after his premiere: “I have known Andriy since I was ten years old, I have followed his entire career. So I wasn’t surprised by his confidence on the field. He didn’t play often with the reserves, but we knew what he was capable of and trusted him to play in the first team. We were pleased with his debut. The team felt they were supported by a goalkeeper who plays well with his feet, he commits himself with confidence and gives signals for his defense”.
In the middle of 2017, fate made him move to wear the diver of the Zorya Luhansk and it only lasted one season in that entity. As reconstructed GOALthe CEO of the institution, Serhiy Rafailovannounced that there was “attracted interest from clubs even bigger than Liverpool and Inter”. It was sold to real Madrid in a figure of 8,500,000 euros (just over USD 9 million), who bet on his future with 19 years old. The named source highlighted that Zinedine Zidane had ‘blocked’ his signing because the place was covered with Keylor Navas, Kiko Casilla and Luca Zidanethe son of Zizou.
* The summary of Real Madrid’s classification
The million-dollar operation had been the largest transfer of a Ukrainian player since Dmytro Chygrynskiy had jumped from Shakhtar to the Barcelona in exchange for 25 million of the European currency (USD 26 million) in 2010. This figure was pulverized by Chelsea after investing more than 70 million euros in Mykhailo Mudryk.
His landing at Meringue It took place a few months after his senior debut with the Ukraine national team shirt. He was the starting goalkeeper during a friendly with a 1-1 draw against Saudi Arabia in March 2018. An emblem kept a close eye on him because Its coach was Andriy Shevchenko, the national team’s all-time top scorer. with 48 points. Nothing was the result of chance because the young man was a fundamental part of the winning youth team of the Sub 20 world disputed in Poland during 2019. Such was his preponderance, that he was left with the Gold Glove for best goalkeeper of the competition. The same award that Emiliano won Draw Martínez at the Senior level in the 2022 World Cup with Argentina.
The limited space within the club White forced him to emigrate on loan to Leganés, Real Valladolid and Real Oviedo in his first two seasons in Spain. During these three stages, he accumulated 10 undefeated goals in 29 games played. He returned in the middle of the pandemic COVID-19 and he had to wait a semester to have a bitter debut as Real Madrid’s goalkeeper in the elimination against Alcoyanoa promotion team, in the third round of the Copa del Rey.
In this years, Andriy Lunin had lost place in the selection consideration and He became Anatoliy Trubin’s substitute (Benfica), although the 1.91 tall lungo returned to the three posts for the Repechage to the Euro Cup. His country achieved two victories against Bosnia and Iceland to reach the event in Germany. It will form Group E with Belgium, Slovakia and Romania. He will try to equal or surpass his best work in the quarterfinals reached in 2021, edition of which Lunin was not part.
Courtois’ stoppage was crucial for him to add shooting in the last half. He played 44 games in these six years with the White House with the particularity that 27 of those duels took place in the current course, in which there are also 12 undefeated goals.. His step is marked by having lifted seven titles (1 Champions League, 1 Club World Cup, 1 European Super Cup, 1 League, 1 Copa del Rey and 2 Spanish Super Cups).
His team has the least goals scored in The Spanish League with 20 goals conceded and this Sunday he will have a trial by fire, because he will face Barcelona in The classic. If they win, the team from the capital will take an 11-point lead against their second team with six games remaining. A tough game for a goalkeeper who proved to be reliable in defining circumstances.
