Andriy Lunin stole the spotlight as Real Madrid secured their spot in the Champions League semifinals after defeating Manchester City in a penalty shoot-out.
The 25-year-old Ukrainian goalkeeper made two crucial penalty saves in the shoot-out after a tense 1-1 draw at the end of extra time to hand Madrid a 4-3 aggregate win at Etihad Stadium and set up a semi-final clash against Bayern Munich.
“I have nothing to say… I’m not the hero or the man of the team, the team is the hero,” Lunin humbly stated in the mixed zone after the match.
The Ukrainian goalkeeper admitted, “After 120 minutes of play, I left everything on the field, but now I am the happiest person in the world.”
Lunin emphasised the collective effort, saying, “The whole team did a great job. Running and suffering for 120 minutes… and I couldn’t do it for even five minutes.”
Speaking on his penalty-saving strategy, Lunin revealed, “We had to take a risk by staying in the middle for a penalty, and we chose Bernardo Silva’s. Thank goodness it paid off.”
When asked about his future at Real Madrid, where he has one year left on his contract, Lunin remained focused on the present: “Right now, I’m focused on this season. We’ll talk about the future when it’s over.”
Reflecting on his journey, the Krasnograd native said, “I’ve always been working, not talking much, trying to seize the opportunities that came my way, and in the end, hard work pays off.”
Players showing love to Lunin as they should. Hero of yesterday's night. pic.twitter.com/ADO2eqYzbc
— Dr Yash (@YashRMFC) April 18, 2024
