Antonio Rudiger was in good spirits despite suffering a bloody head injury during Real Madrid 's dramatic 1-1 draw with Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League.
The former Chelsea defender scored a 95th-minute equaliser for Los Blancos, shattering Shakhtar's hopes of a historic win. But it came at a cost for Rudiger, as a split-second after diverting Toni Kroos ' brilliant crossed ball towards goal, the 29-year-old slammed face-first into onrushing goalkeeper Anatolii Trubin with serious force.
Following a brief celebration - as the equalising goal sent Madrid through to the knockout stages - Rudiger's teammates rushed to his aid, much like 21-year-old Trubin's. While the Shakhtar stopper received treatment, the German centre-back was left with a gruesome gash and blood streaming from his face.
COPE report that Rudiger required 20 stitches after Tuesday's match, which was played in the Polish capital of Warsaw rather than Donetsk due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, but he was thankfully in a lighthearted mood whilst on the plane home to Spain.
"We alive," the ex-Stamford Bridge stalwart wrote on Instagram, accompanied by a picture of himself with half of his face covered by bandages. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger," Rudiger added in a second social media message. "I am okay - thanks for all your messages."
However, we may not see the dominant defender back on the pitch for a short period, as the medical team back at the Santiago Bernabeu will likely have to do a thorough check for any unnoticed injuries and factor in concussion protocol. Rudiger went down as the hero in Warsaw, though, as the reigning champions maintained their unbeaten record in all competitions this season.
After 12 matches without a loss, their next game will no-doubt be their biggest test yet. Madrid welcome bitter rivals Barcelona to the Bernabeu on Sunday, with the visitors top of the La Liga table on goal difference and bidding to wrestle back the Spanish crown after going three years without winning the title.
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Los Blancos boss Carlo Ancelotti was disappointed with his side's most recent performance, as Shakhtar almost claimed all three points. A second-half header from talented Ukrainian midfielder Oleksandr Zubkov, 20, beat Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, who's still deputising for the currently injured Thibaut Courtois.
"We did not play well but this team never gives up," Ancelotti told Marca. "We have qualified for the round of 16 on a night that looked bad, that is something good. They changed system to position players to cut out the passes in between the lines, we had to play on the flanks, it didn't go well for us."
"And with their goal, it got more difficult for us. We played very badly, but we showed that we never give up. We played badly because sometimes it happens in football.
"Out wide we did not try to dribble to break lines. The positive thing is that we did not give up. Only the team that gets through to the knockout phases can win the Champions League and we are there. Beating this team is difficult."
