German defender of Sierra Leonean descent, Antonio Rudiger, has revealed why he took the last penalty against Atletico Madrid in the second leg meeting of the Uefa Champions League Round 16 tie.
Speaking in an interview, the centre-back said he took the responsibility in order to protect young Brazilian forward Endrick.
“The Madrid Derby is where two rivals from the same city compete, and the fans of both teams really don’t like each other. You have to prepare well to win.
“I took responsibility for the fifth penalty kick against Atletico Madrid to protect Endrick because he’s a young kid and might be psychologically affected if he missed it,” Antonio Rudiger said.
The German converted the crucial last penalty kick to send Real Madrid into the quarter-final of the UEFA Champions League.
In the last eight stage, the Spanish giants are scheduled to face off with English Premier League outfit Arsenal.
