Lini Fighters' High Behind Real Madrid Named Antonio Rudiger Really Above Normal

Antonio Rudiger bleeding to help Real Madrid avoid defeat (Twitter @tonirriudiger)

JAKARTA - The fact that Antonio Rudiger is a brave fighter dies is something that many football fans have known wherever they are.

His performance in Warsaw as Real Madrid against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League is just the latest example of the German international fighter's spirit.

During injury time and Los Blancos trailed 0-1, Rudiger received a corner with his head and the ball went into the goal of Anatoliy Trubin.

Even though he was bleeding as a result of colliding with the opposing goalkeeper he didn't lie down until David Alaba forced him to fall to the ground.

In fact, he didn't trigger the media team's alarm. But Nacho Fernandez, whose movement warned Real Madrid staff that Rudiger's injury was serious.

"Needless to say, they all realized I was really a crazy guy," Rudiger said in September, quoted by Marca, Thursday.

It is said that, "you play like you practice" and Rudiger asserts this saying. This is his way of understanding the game.

A few days into pre-season in Los Angeles, he did not hesitate to tackle his teammate, Eden Hazard.

In Poland, his injury did not stop him from smiling even though other players may have asked to be immediately taken to the hospital.

It was his second goal at Real Madrid, as well as his second in the Champions League after he scored at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu with Chelsea last season.

Rudiger scored the same number of goals in 72 games with Roma and 80 games in Stuttgart. As a Chelsea player, he scored 12 goals in 203 duels.