Covered in blood and 20 stitches: Rüdiger has to pay dearly for his late heroic deed

Created: 2022-10-12 08:53

By: Christoph Klaucke

Antonio Rüdiger received a brutal head hit in the Champions League.

© Antonio Rüdiger/Instagram/Imago

Antonio Rüdiger heads Real Madrid into the last 16 of the Champions League.

The national player conceded a bloody head hit when he scored.

Warsaw – "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger": Antonio Rüdiger paid for his debut goal for Real Madrid in the Champions League with a painful headshot.

The German international headed the Whites in the fifth minute of added time against Shakhtar Donetsk to make it 1-1.

After his collision with the opposing goalkeeper, Rüdiger lay on the ground covered in blood.

Champions League: Antonio Rüdiger's forehead won't stop bleeding

His face and white jersey were covered in blood as Antonio Rüdiger was escorted off after his fifth-minute stoppage-time equalizer against Shakhtar Donetsk in Warsaw.

A supervisor pressed a cloth on Rüdiger's forehead to stop the heavy bleeding.

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger," the 29-year-old wrote on Instagram after midnight, reassuring fans: "I'm okay.

Thank you for all your messages.” As various media reports, he had to be sewn up with 20 stitches beforehand.

What happened?

After a long cross from former world champion Toni Kroos, Rüdiger, who had moved up, clashed with Donetsk keeper Anatolij Trubin when he scored a header.

Their heads banged violently, both players seemed dazed at first.

While Rüdiger got back on his feet relatively quickly, Trubin was treated lying on the grass for minutes.

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Antonio Rüdiger: Real star suffers brutal lacerations in the Champions League

Real coach Carlo Ancelotti revealed afterwards that Rüdiger's injury was a "rather long" laceration.

"He wanted to get back on the pitch, but then he realized he was injured," said the Italian, who gave the all-clear: "I don't think it's anything serious.

"Provider Kroos didn't really want to look at the injury," I've seen nicer pictures in my life," he said, "it's a lot of blood.

I hope he comes back soon.”

At least Rüdiger's commitment was worth it: the late equalizer saw the defending champions qualify early for the round of 16 in the premier class and averted an embarrassing defeat at home to arch-rivals FC Barcelona shortly before the important Clásico on Sunday.