Real Madrid’s defender, Antonio Rudiger will be tasked with thwarting Haaland when Manchester City faces the Spanish giants in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final encounter.
Rudiger effectively neutralized Haaland’s threat in a 1-1 draw at the Bernabeu last season during the semi-final stage clash, although he was omitted from the return leg, which City won 4-0.
Antonio Rudiger confident of repeating Haaland shutdown in Champions League showdown
In their previous encounter, Haaland was restricted to just 21 touches and had no clear chances, thanks to Rudiger’s tactical maneuvers. A memorable moment captured from the game depicted Rudiger employing physicality to disrupt Haaland’s rhythm, ultimately emerging victorious in their intense duel.
The German international is eager for their upcoming showdown and exudes confidence in his ability to once again silence the prolific Norwegian striker.
“It was a good game at home last year,” said Rudiger. “We all did a great job by keeping Haaland quiet that evening.
“We controlled the ball well. Haaland didn’t get much of the ball. Now, for this game, the plan will be the same as last year, to try to control dangerous players like Haaland. I will take that duel as personal,”he said, as per The Mirror.
Antonio Rudiger emphasized his commitment to doing whatever it takes to silence Haaland once more, aiming to give Real Madrid the best possible opportunity to continue their pursuit of a 15th European Cup triumph. The former Chelsea star added, “I saw the photos and videos, there were a lot.
Antonio Rudiger’s instinctive approach
“I don’t plan these things. It’s just a feeling. It’s me as a defensive player, against a super striker. I don’t plan, it just happens in the moment. Nothing special.
“He’s definitely one of the strongest. It’s not easy to control him. He lives off passes from his teammates, so you have to try to control them as well as possible.”
Meanwhile, Sports Buddy revealed in previous news how Carlo Ancelotti devised a plan to trick Cristiano Ronaldo into changing positions during his time at Real Madrid.
