A surprise Real Madrid staff member chose the penalty-takers for Man City shootout | OneFootball

An insight into some of the finer details of Real Madrid’s penalty shootout showdown with Manchester City on Wednesday night has today been forthcoming online.

The info comes courtesy of Relevo, and points towards something of an unsung hero as having emerged in the midst of the chaos at The Etihad.

Real, of course, are fresh off booking their spot in the semi-finals of the Champions League.

As much comes owing to a shootout downing of reigning holders Man City in Manchester yesterday evening.

With the pressure at its very peak, all of Jude Bellingham, Lucas Vázquez, Nacho and Antonio Rüdiger stood up to convert from 12 yards, with Andriy Lunin’s two saves in turn having proven enough to put Pep Guardiola’s hosts to the sword.

On the back of proceedings coming to a close on Wednesday, the likes of Lunin, Rüdiger, goalscorer Rodrygo and headmaster Carlo Ancelotti were all therefore lavished in deserved praise.

As alluded to above, though, one individual whose contributions went altogether under the radar comes in the form of Davide Ancelotti.

As per the aforementioned Relevo, Ancelotti, assistant and son of Real’s manager, was involved in each and every tactical decision made by Real Madrid at The Etihad.

‘Throughout the battle against Manchester City, it was Davide who scrambled from the wing in search of solutions to the local dominance. He expounded his ideas vehemently, to none other than his father.’

Not only that, but, owing to his in-depth knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of Los Blancos’ stars, Davide Ancelotti was also responsible for choosing the club’s penalty takers in the shootout.

Another stellar evening’s work on the part of a coach who is expected to have a long and successful career in the game…

Conor Laird | GSFN