The Curious Reason Why Ancelotti 'Set Aside' Endrick and Chose Rüdiger

Real Madrid Have Advanced to the Quarterfinals After What Happened at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano. Carlo Ancelotti's players conceded a goal in the first minute that tied the match and  managed to hold on until extra time. They even had some chances to avoid the penalty shootout, but it wasn't to be:  the fate of both teams was decided from the penalty spot.

As has often been the case recently, Real Madrid emerged victorious in that penalty shootout and eliminated Atlético de Madrid. The goal by the last Madrid player to take on that responsibility, Antonio Rüdiger, went into the goal defended by Jan Oblak with some suspense. The Slovenian goalkeeper was about to stop a really powerful shot.

After the match, Carlo Ancelotti opened up in one of his flash interviews about the order his players had assumed when taking these penalties. Because Antonio Rüdiger wasn't intended to take the fifth penalty according to the tactical plans of the Madrid coaching staff. The Reggiolo coach acknowledged this.

"We wanted to have Endrick as the fifth[taker], but in the end, we thought Rüdiger was more... he was cooler", Carlo Ancelotti noted about the choice of the German '22' to close the penalty shootout. Carlo Ancelotti reveals the curious reason why the Berlin center-back was chosen to take on the responsibility of taking and scoring the decisive penalty of the match.

Last-Minute Change

"We talked about it and said 'Endrick, you're going to take the fifth'", the Real Madrid coach stated. However, he acknowledges that "I didn't see him so happy and I said 'wait, wait, we'll put Antonio[Rüdiger]'" for this very important shot from the penalty spot at the Metropolitano.

Real Madrid Are Now in the Champions League Quarterfinals, perhaps thanks to this last-minute change managed by Carlo Ancelotti.  Endrick, meanwhile, missed a fantastic opportunity to take on a role he has been incessantly claiming for several months.

The '16' verdeamarelo is one of the footballers who would have requested to meet with Real Madrid at the end of the season to discuss his situation and his future at the club. The lack of opportunities and minutes he would be experiencing under Carlo Ancelotti's tactical command makes  the Carioca footballer seek minutes away from Santiago Bernabéu locker room.

The goal of the Merengue leaders will be to retain him in the Merengue sports discipline. Not only to avoid losing an asset in the forward line for the upcoming seasons, but because the South American footballer is key in the future sports project of Madrid.