Andriy Lunin: Real Madrid’s Unforeseen Hero
Andriy Lunin’s rise to first-team importance cannot be overstated. With Thibaut Courtois’s absence in the past few months, Lunin has cemented his status as a worthy starting goalkeeper of Real Madrid Club de Fútbol.
The Sweepr
4/24/20243 min read
The Rise
On 19 June 2018, Real Madrid reached an agreement with Ukrainian club FC Zorya Luhansk to sign Andriy Lunin for a reported fee of €8.5 million with €5 million in add-ons. Since then, the young Lunin has gone on loan to multiple Spanish clubs, where he unfortunately did not overly impress.
It all kick-started when Thibaut Courtois suffered a cruciate ligament tear in pre-season, sidelining him for over 200 days. Although Carlo Ancelotti initially preferred a new goalkeeper in Kepa Arrizabalaga, his rotating system gave Lunin what he needed; a chance to make an opening statement to his manager and to the public.
His first big opportunity came under Santiago Bernabéu’s bright lights in the fourth round of the UEFA Champions League group stage against Sporting Braga. That night, Lunin produced a formidable performance, setting the course of the match in Real Madrid’s favour after saving Álvaro Djaló’s penalty in the sixth minute.
However, a bigger occasion arrived in the knock out stages. Facing a tricky test against RB Leipzig, Lunin stepped up. In the first leg, the 6′ 3″ goalkeeper prevented 2.19 goals after making a grand total of nine saves; equalling Courtois’s record of most saves made in a single UCL match for the club in the last eight seasons (Squawka).
Champions League nights can do wonders on a player’s career trajectory, for better or worse, as we all know. Fortunately, through his hard work and consistency, it is the former. After the trip to Leipzig, he ascended to the position as the new number one for Los Blancos.
So far, in 20 LaLiga starts, Lunin has kept clean sheets in half of them. Certainly not a bad record for a breakthrough season in a club of Real Madrid’s stature.
The Big Stage
Manchester City, the ruthless engine of football's modern era, delivered a resounding 4-0 victory against the record-holding Real Madrid in the second leg of last season’s Champions League semi-final. Not even the ‘Reyes’ of Europe could contain City's hunger in their pursuit of a historic first tournament win.
This year, the two giants collided once again, albeit with a very different outcome. Would it be daring to say that it was all because of one man standing between the goal of Real Madrid?
Los Blancos were pinned back throughout the match, but that’s where Andriy Lunin showcased his brilliance. He arguably displayed one of the most dominant goalkeeping performances in the recent history of the competition. He made eight saves, six of them from inside the box, and most importantly, he saved two penalties in the shootout; securing Real Madrid’s spot in yet another semi-final.
A near perfect 10 of a performance, he deservedly rallied a wave of praise from fans and media all over the world. Lunin, as calm as always, revealed on how he managed to hugely influence the match:
"Before the shoot-out, we prepared all the City players who were still on the pitch, we had to take a risk with one, we chose one and thank goodness it turned out well, Bernardo's," Lunin explained.
"There were three options to stay in the centre and we have decided on one (Bernardo Silva)."
"In these cases I say that there are games that you have to suffer, that you have to overcome them, that you can't always play with the ball and be the best team on the field," he said. "For me, above all, a great experience and the team has suffered greatly, I cannot run like that for even five minutes and they have run for 120," (Sports Illustrated).
Lunin has given Real Madrid fans security in matches, even in the big ones, which was the primary concern when the bad news surrounding Courtois broke out. Kepa has never been convincing following his underwhelming stint at Chelsea, and it was evident in his first few months in Madrid.
Once again, his ascent to the top cannot be overstated. His patience and resilience have borne fruit, particularly noteworthy as he achieved it with one of, if not the, biggest clubs in the history of the sport.
Although Lunin’s current contract expires in 2025, he is not convinced on signing a new deal. The Ukrainian understandably wants assurances from the club regarding his future playing time when Thibaut Courtois fully recovers from his long-term injury.
Will the story of Real Madrid’s unforeseen hero continue?
Written & Posted by The Sweepr on 24/04/24
