The French left back stepped up to fill the void left by Benzema and other players with a key strike in the dying minutes of the game.

It seems that Zidane's luck charms have returned, since his team claimed a huge lead over Atalanta thanks to the most unexpected hero of all.

The game was tarnished by a questionable call by the referee, who decided to send Remo Freuler off the pitch after a tackle against Ferland Mendy. In what turned out to be an unexpected outcome, Mendy would go on to become the game's hero for Zidane's men with his late strike from outside the box.

It will surely be a day to remember for the French defender, as Mendy scored his first-ever UEFA Champions League goal for Real Madrid, and he managed to do so with his "wrong" foot.

Have a look at Mendy's delightful strike that gave Los Blancos the advantage for the return leg (Image might be geo-restricted).