Indonesia
Nigeria
South Africa

Ancelotti made "phenomenal" call that won Real Madrid the game against Man City

mirror.co.uk, 5 May 2022, 09:39
Ancelotti made key substitutions on Wednesday night which played a decisive role in Real Madrid beating Man City and securing a spot in this month's Champions League final against Liverpool Carlo Ancelotti, Head Coach of Real Madrid (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Wednesday night's Champions League clash will go down as one of the most remarkable in recent history as Real Madrid pulled off a dramatic comeback to beat Manchester City and reach the final in Paris.

City were ahead 4-3 going into the second leg and looked to have sealed their place in the final after adding to their advantage at the Bernabeu through Riyad Mahrez in the second half. However, a ludicrous two minutes inside stoppage time saw substitute Rodrygo score twice before Karim Benzema's extra-time penalty sent Real through with a 6-5 aggregate victory.

In the BT studio following Madrid's success, pundit Rio Ferdinand was full of praise for manager Carlo Ancelotti, calling him "incredible".

Ancelotti made history last weekend after his La Liga success saw him become the first manager to win the title in Europe's top five leagues. And now after Wednesday night's win, he'll have the opportunity to become the first manager to win the Champions League /European Cup four times, moving clear of Liverpool's Bob Paisley and Real's Zinedine Zidane.

"Carlo Ancelotti, we talk about the great managers of the modern era, he has to be in the mix to be at the top of that tree. What he has been doing, it's incredible," said Ferdinand. "The substitutions (Ancelotti made), Rodrygo and Eduardo Camavinga especially, wow. Phenomenal substitutions that impacted the game."

With the tie drifting away from Madrid, Ancelotti turned to Camavinga and winger Marco Asensio, replacing key veterans Luka Modric and Casemiro. That move came shortly after he'd already taken off the reliable Toni Kroos for young attacker Rodrygo.

The changes saw Madrid effectively push another player in attack, shifting from the 4-3-3 they started the game in to something that better resembled a 4-2-4. Although he had just Fede Valverde for support, Camavinga quickly began to dominate the middle of the pitch.

He was composed, energetic and put in a display way beyond what you'd expect from a teenager, even one as highly rated as he is. The Frenchman finished the game having successfully completed 22/26 passes and having made the second-highest number of tackles for any Madrid player.

The 19-year-old also played an instrumental role in getting Madrid back in the game. It was his deep cross that was hooked back across goal by Benzema for Rodrygo to score the first goal.

Rodrygo was then on target again one minute later, heading home Dani Carvajal's cross. The substitute nearly got a remarkable third a few seconds later, denied one on one by Ederson.

While still just 21, Rodrygo is quickly developing a knack for scoring key goals in crucial moments. He now boasts six in his last six matches across all competitions, including one against Chelsea in the Champions League and two against Espanyol on Saturday which sealed the La Liga title.

This is a trait Ancelotti can clearly see in the youngster, and his decision to call upon both him and Camavinga can be considered as decisive moments that helped turned this tie on its head.

Top News

28 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool are reportedly giving more thought to making a fresh move for Inter Milan forward Marcus Thuram. 28 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United are allegedly open to signing an alternative to goalkeeper Andre Onana. 28 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea are reportedly planning to make an approach for Ipswich Town forward Liam Delap during a future transfer window. 28 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Only one point separates Serie A strugglers Como and Lecce ahead of their final fixture of 2024, as they prepare to meet at Stadio Sinigaglia on Monday. 28 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk The January transfer window is almost here and clubs around the UK and Europe are lining up moves as they look to take advantage of the opportunity to strengthen. 28 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Empoli vs. Genoa (Saturday, 2.00pm) Both beaten by Serie A title contenders just before Christmas, Empoli and Genoa will meet for their final fixture of 2024 on Saturday afternoon. 28 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid reportedly decide against signing Virgil van Dijk for free in the summer of 2025, and only hold interest in Trent Alexander-Arnold. 28 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Cristiano Ronaldo backs Ruben Amorim to succeed at Manchester United and insists that the club's future is bright. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite is yet to sign a new contract with the Toffees and could be the subject of a transfer battle between Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite is yet to sign a new contract with the Toffees and could be the subject of a transfer battle between Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has revealed that Raheem Sterling should return from injury quicker than expected, but Bukayo Saka has undergone surgery on his hamstring problem. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk In their 24th Championship game of the season, Norwich City are set to host Queens Park Rangers at Carrow Road on Sunday. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aiming to keep their flawless December record intact, Birmingham City will host Blackpool at St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park in League One on Sunday afternoon. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Casa Pia will be looking to secure a third consecutive victory for the first time since November 2022 when they lock horns with Braga at the Estadio Braga Municipal on Sunday. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Kai Havertz scored the only goal of the match as Arsenal recorded a 1-0 victory over Ipswich Town in Friday night's Premier League contest at the Emirates Stadium. 27 December 2024 talksport.com Middlesbrough and Sheffield Wednesday are locking horns in the race for Australian teen sensation Thomas Waddingham, talkSPORT understands. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk The final League Two gameweek of the calendar year sees table-topping Walsall aiming for a sixth consecutive win as they welcome Newport County to Poundland Bescot Stadium this weekend. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Sporting Lisbon and Benfica bring their schedule for 2024 to an end with a thrilling top-of-the-table clash when they lock horns at the Estadio Jose Alvalade in round 16 of the Primeira Liga on Sunday. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Farense SC and Vitoria de Guimaraes bring their year to a close when they lock horns at the Estadio de Sao Luis in round 16 of the Portuguese Primeira Liga on Sunday. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Swansea City will be aiming to make it successive wins in the Championship when they continue their campaign with a home fixture against Luton Town on Sunday afternoon. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Fulham are again sweating over the fitness of Emile Smith Rowe for Sunday's Premier League clash with Bournemouth. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Two teams enjoying excellent campaigns will lock horns for an intriguing Premier League contest on Sunday afternoon, with Fulham welcoming Bournemouth to Craven Cottage. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Nottingham Forest are set to be without the services of midfielder Ryan Yates for the trip to Everton in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Everton could be prepared to welcome back the services of winger Dwight McNeil for the Premier League battle with Nottingham Forest on Sunday afternoon. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Following a hard-fought point at the home of the faltering champions earlier in the week, Everton will continue their festive schedule with the visit of Champions League-chasing Nottingham Forest. 27 December 2024 talksport.com Cristiano Ronaldo has sensationally claimed the Saudi Pro League is superior to Ligue 1. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are all reportedly interested in signing Paris Saint-Germain attacker Randal Kolo Muani during the January transfer window. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City are reportedly considering triggering the release clause of Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi during the January transfer window due to their ongoing issues. 27 December 2024 talksport.com Leeds United have released a statement to condemn chants about Manor Solomon. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United have reportedly made an offer for Paris Saint-Germain defender Nuno Mendes.