🤯 Criticised Germany star silences haters with stunning volley | OneFootball

Antonio Rüdiger - actually established as a central defender in the German national team - has had to endure quite a bit of criticism again in recent months. This is partly because the defender doesn't always have complete control over himself and occasionally causes a stir with unpleasant actions. 

Recently, national coach Julian Nagelsmann also left it open in an interview with 'Kicker' whether Rüdiger will regain his former status as the undisputed defense chief with a view to the World Cup in the summer. 

This certainly also has to do with the injuries that kept Real's defender out last year and this year. 

Nagelsmann said it depended a lot on his performance. And it seems that the DFB player has taken these words to heart.

Currently, Real Madrid is playing against FC Elche and needs a win to keep the pressure on league leaders Barca, who are only in action tomorrow, Sunday. If the Royals win and the Flick team loses, the gap would shrink to one point. 

Real is currently on a good path to do their homework, and this is partly due to Antonio Rüdiger. After a free kick, the Elche keeper let the ball bounce forward, and a failed clearance attempt landed directly at Rüdiger's feet.

He thundered the ball into the left corner with a spectacular volley on the first touch. With his first goal of the season, he pushed his team significantly forward.

Shortly after, teammate Valverde followed up with a stroke of genius and sealed Real's halftime lead. In the second half, Real scored the third goal, and shortly before the end, it stands at 4-1. 

If Nagelsmann is going by performance, Rüdiger could be well on his way to reclaiming his status as defense chief, depending on his performance in the coming months - after all, a team aspiring to be world champions can certainly benefit from goal-scoring defenders. 

What do you think? Is Rüdiger an undisputed regular player in the DFB team? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments!

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

📸 Florencia Tan Jun - 2026 Getty Images