When it comes to the Champions League nights, Real Madrid have normalised the extraordinary.
They showed that in their recent semi-final. With 10 minutes left in the second leg, Bayern were 1-0 up at the Santiago Bernabeu. Real were heading out.
Davide Ancelotti had been pestering his father, Carlo, to make one particular substitution.
Jude Bellingham, who regularly makes timely runs into the box from midfield, was tiring. Bayern were concentrating all their energy on defending against the power and pace of Vinicius Jr.
Davide realised the team needed more presence in the box, a player to split the defenders’ attention. He looked to Joselu, a player with a tall frame and striker’s instinct.
The former Stoke and Newcastle forward had come to Real on a season’s loan from second division Espanyol. Not many would have picked him out as the player to produce some late brilliance. But as a frustrated Ancelotti senior turned to his son on the bench, Davide made his point: “Joseludai.” Dai, an Italian term, means ‘come on’.
Carlo relented and told the striker to warm up. Thrown on in the 81st minute, Joselu capitalised on a Manuel Neuer error to equalise and followed it up with a quick second to send the Spaniards to yet another Champions League final. Ten minutes, two goals. The power of one substitution.
Once again, Davide had made the right call. Carlo’s son, as Real’s assistant manager, continues to be his secret weapon.
Credit: bbc.com
