Frank Castaneda, Sheriff Tiraspol captain, sent a simple message to his team ahead of their Champions League match at Real Madrid: Why not dream!
It worked: The Moldovan champions, the first team to be selected in the Champions League group stage in country history, shocked the 13-time champions 2-1 at Madrid's Bernabeu stadium.
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After 25 minutes, the upstart visitors won when forward Jasurbek Yakhiboev scored a goal with a free header that sailed past Thibaut Courtois. After halftime, Karim Benzema scored from the penalty spot before Sebastien Thill scored in the 89th minute.
"We believed that we could win. "We believed we could win. I talked to my teammates as captain motivating them and saying, "Why not dream?" Castaneda, a Colombian forward, said that this is football. Real Madrid is historic, but on the pitch it's 11 against 11. We went for it and won.
Sheriff is now at the top of Group D with six points, having won both their matches so far. Real Madrid is second.
Thill, the first Luxembourg player to score a goal during the Champions League, said, "We played really good games." "The side was so brave in how they played, and I was able score a little stunner.
Georgios Athanasiadis (28-year-old goalkeeper who plays on loan from AEK Athens) was named Man of the Match by UEFA for his outstanding performance that included ten saves.
He said, "I'm really happy." It's difficult to play against the best teams in the world. If I keep talking too long, I will end up crying.
Sheriff won a shocking victory against Real Madrid. Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid manager, blamed the loss on "little details".
Ancelotti stated that he was more worried than concerned and that he was sad after the match. "The team played with great intensity and commitment. The game was decided by the small details, such as a cross in the first half and a throw-in in the second. They don't always cost you but they can with bad luck.
Ancelotti said, "We had many opportunities. Although we could have been more precise over the last 30m, it's difficult to reconcile this loss with the game that we played. It is a lesson that will be useful in the future. It's a throw-in, a cross and corner that cost you nothing. They cost you. We lost, and we didn’t deserve it."
Madrid scored 31 shots, 11 of which were on target, with Benzema and Vinicius Junior scoring close to the goal. Rodrygo, Eden Hazard, Rodrygo and Luka Jovic also had close calls.
Real midfielder Casemiro said, "We had so many chances, their goalkeeper made many saves and I think it is appropriate to congratulate them for scoring 2 goals." "We controlled the game and had many chances, but then they scored a wonderful goal."
Sheriff, on the other hand, had three shots that were on target but could only convert two of them.
Gustavo Dulanto, Sheriff's Peruvian Defender, said that he used to dream of winning at the Bernabeu. Real is the club I've followed since childhood. To beat them at home is an incredible achievement.
