Real Madrid’s Antonio Rudiger was his team’s hero on Tuesday, earning a 1-1 draw against Shakhtar Donetsk in Poland to punch a ticket to the Champions League knockout stage. With Real down 1-0 against the courageous Ukrainians, who outplayed the reigning European champs for the majority of the game, Toni Kroos held the ball at his feet with moments to go. There, he waved everybody forward to try and get into the box for a last-gasp goal. Rudiger had two chances, and his second was the charm.
The former Chelsea man got into the heart of the box and headed home off the right post with a delightful touch, but he paid the price. After getting a touch on the ball, Rudiger collided with Anatoliy Trubin in a violent clash, taking the goalkeeper’s shoulder and face to his face before having his head slam against the ground.
Take a look, but a warning — there is blood and it may be difficult to watch:
Absolutely gruesome, and boy is that a concerning knock. He tried to get up but could barely stand as his classic white jersey was painted red. As for the consequences of the knock, it remains unclear. He did need 20 stitches to his forehead, according to Cope. On Wednesday he will undergo tests to see if there is any type of fracture to his face.
These facial injuries aren’t anything new for the center back though. He suffered a broken jaw against Real Madrid two seasons ago en route to winning the Champions League with Chelsea. As a result, he had a bone injury on the side of his face and even wore a mask as a protective measure, continuing to wear it at Euro 2020 with Germany.
