The hero of Real Madrid's advancement, Lunin!

18/04/2024

Champions League quarter-finals continued, with defending champions Manchester City suffering a heavy blow at the Etihad, losing 3-4 on penalties to Real Madrid, and ultimately being eliminated 7-8.

Real Madrid won 4-3 on penalties to City!

Real Madrid secured their desired progression, with goalkeeper Lunin's performance being nothing short of miraculous. 

He made a total of 8 saves throughout the match, and his crucial interventions during the penalty shootout earned him the well-deserved title of MVP.

Lunin's performance in this match was godlike!
 

Lunin joined Real Madrid in 2018, but was subsequently loaned out three times. 

At the beginning of this season, when Courtois suffered a major injury, there were doubts about Lunin's ability to fill his position.

Now, halfway through the season, Lunin has played 54 times for the team, keeping 24 clean sheets, and has delivered stellar performances in crucial matches.

8 saves in single match!

Just how impressive was Lunin in this Champions League clash? Manchester City had a total of 33 shots with 9 on target, but apart from De Bruyne's goal, Lunin 'rejected' all 8 other shots on target.

In the first leg, Manchester City conceded a goal just 1 minute into the game from a free kick by Bernardo Silva, leading to criticism of Lunin by the fans who believed he couldn't replace Courtois.

Real Madrid were not favored before the match

Arriving at the suffocating atmosphere of the Etihad Stadium with a 3-3 draw from the first leg, coupled with the despairing experience of a 0-4 defeat here last season, most people expected the Citizens to easily crush Real Madrid and advance to the semi-finals.

However, with a near-perfect performance, Lunin single-handedly shattered the hopes of the Citizens.

As the match progressed, De Bruyne's trademark long-range shot in the 27th minute was flying towards the bottom left corner of the goal, but Lunin soared to deflect the ball away.

Lunin show time!

In the 44th minute, Carvajal's headed clearance fell to De Bruyne who took a direct shot on goal from a corner, but Lunin retreated in time, using his fingertips to change the direction of the ball, narrowly avoiding conceding.

Lunin avoiding conceding!

In the second half, trailing by a goal, Manchester City launched waves of attacks towards the Real Madrid goal. 

In the 47th minute, Foden's corner was cleared not far away, but Grealish's volley was met with another crucial save by Lunin.

Save again by Lunin!

In the 78th minute, with Manchester City just equalizing, De Bruyne's shot from outside the box was once again brilliantly saved by Lunin, as he tipped the ball over the crossbar, leaving the City players frustrated.

Again,again and agian!

With 8 saves in the match and 7 clearances (excluding non-shooting attempts), Lunin's 120-minute performance was truly magnificent. 

Real's hero, Lunin

In the penalty shootout, Lunin further cemented his status as a hero:

The first penalty taker, Modric, missed, leaving Real Madrid trailing 0-1, but Lunin quickly saw through Bernardo Silva's intentions, confidently saving his penalty, stabilizing the situation for Real Madrid.

Lunin save Bernardo Silva penalty

In the fourth round of penalties, Kovacic attempted to deceive Lunin with a shot down the middle, but the Real Madrid goalkeeper swiftly got down to deny the former Real Madrid midfielder's effort.

Kovacic's penalty deny by Lunin!

With 8 saves in the match and 2 crucial penalty saves in the shootout, Lunin's performance was enough to be hailed as divine!

In the round of 16 first leg away to Leipzig, Lunin made 9 saves in a heroic performance, earning a rating of 9.6; 

Lunin, the man who lead Real to qualified!

In the quarter-finals away to Manchester City, Lunin once again proved instrumental in Real Madrid's success.