Competition debutants Sheriff went forward against the 13-time European champions within the 25th minute with a header from Uzbek midfielder Jasurbek Yakhshiboev, who narrowly missed a chance to double the visitors’ lead later within the first half.
Sheriff closed with +2700 odds at Caesars Sportsbook, making it the largest underdog to win within the last three Champions League seasons. The earlier largest upset was Shakhtar Donetsk beating Madrid within the group stage final yr at +1300 odds.
“We believed we may win. I spoke to my teammates as captain, motivating them, saying ‘why not dream?’ That is football,” Sheriff Tiraspol captain Frank Castaneda said. “Actual Madrid is historic however on the pitch, it is 11 vs. 11. We went for the win and received it.”
Goalkeeper Georgios Athanasiadis, 28 — who plays for Sheriff on mortgage from AEK Athens — was named UEFA’s Man of the Match for a show that noticed him make ten saves.
“I am actually glad,” he mentioned. “It’s extremely troublesome to play towards these teams, one of the best in the world. I am emotional, if I stick with it talking for much longer, I am going to end up crying.”
Actual dominated the play in each half however needed a penalty to attract level. Karim Benzema buried his spot-kick within the high nook within the 65th minute after Vinicius Jr was felled and awarded a penalty following a VAR overview, having been denied a spot-kick after a previous review moments earlier.
Actual substitute Luka Jovic spurned a great probability to win it for the hosts, but Sheriff rapidly received down the opposite finish and, following a throw-in, the ball fell to Luxembourg midfielder Thill, who unleashed a deadly shot into the far high nook.
“It is the kind of sport the place when you may have complete control it is the little particulars that decide it,” said Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti. “That price us the sport. It may be a good lesson for the long run, a sport like this, the main points price you. A throw-in, a cross, a nook, a pointless foul… The price you. We lost and the team did not deserve it, honestly, for what we did.”
Sheriff, from the unrecognized breakaway state of Transnistria, high Champions League Group D with six factors from two games whereas Actual is second with three.
The sheriff got here through 4 rounds of qualifying to develop into the primary Moldovan staff to play within the group section of Europe’s elite club competitors and had stunned a highly experienced Champions League facet in Shakhtar Donetsk to win their opening sport 2-0.
They confronted an unbeaten Actual facet and were outplayed for a lot of the sport however pulled off the largest end result of their 24-year historical past, making the most of their few possibilities and counting on a couple of top-drawer saves from Athanasiadis.
Real made a strong begin and Vinicius and Benzema every went near giving them the lead, Athanasiadis making the first of many saves to tip a stinging shot from Benzema over the bar.
But Ancelotti’s facet was outdone on the counter when Cristiano tore down the left wing and crossed to the unmarked Yakhshiboev, who headed into the web.
Actual continued to threaten with Benzema and Vinicius every fizzing shot simply off track earlier than halftime, though Yakhshiboev may have scored once more down the other finish following a glaring error from the hosts’ keeper Thibaut Courtois.
The Spaniards seemed set to go on to win the sport after Benzema leveled from the spot, but Sheriff had the ball within the web once more by way of substitute Bruno, though the objective was ruled out for offside.
Modric was then thwarted by Athanasiadis, who saved a thumping shot from the Croatian together with his face, earlier than Brazilian forward Rodrygo fired narrowly over the bar.
A Real winner seemed inevitable however instead it got here down the opposite finish when Thill tried his luck from the sting of the field, scoring the most important objective in his membership’s temporary history.
