Rodrygo has gained his space at Real Madrid and prompted himself into the starting position specially on Champions League matches. It was him who scored twice against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and secured the Merengues spot in another semifinal.
As a rewriting of last year, they will face Manchester City, now a team on the uprising. The Citizens are now depending only on themselves to win the Premier League after beating Arsenal 4-1 on Wednesday (26). They will also dispute the final of the FA Cup against Manchester United.
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Indeed, the main objective is the Champions League, a trophy they weren’t able to achieve despite having good seasons recently. They lost one final against Chelsea and were sent off by Real Madrid in the semifinals last season.
And why is that?
That answer lies on Rodrygo’s name.
It was an exquisite condition. City had won the first game at Etihad Stadium and got the advantage on the Bernabéu, almost feeling the excitement of eliminating Real Madrid in their own turf. This changed when Carlo Ancelotti decided to put Rodrygo on the game.
The Brazilian, known in Brazil as Rayo because of his speed, changed the game almost at the bitter end. He scored twice, leading the game into overtime, and suffered a penalty, which Benzema was responsible to convert a few minutes later. Real Madrid, the king of the Champions League, would go on to win the title, whereas Manchester City came home with a bitter feeling.
“We were thinking that we had a shot of going to the final until the last minute and it paid off. It was hard, complicated, but we had time and the conditions to change the situation. That was my focus. I was 100% sure that we’d be in the final and it all worked out. It was a magical moment. We celebrated a lot”, he said last year in a interview for The Guardian.
Of course things have changed this year. City brought Haaland into their squad and now he is the main option in the attack. The number 9 is also the leader in goals in the Premier League and Champions League.
We’ll have to wait until May 9 to see what this confrontation shall bring. The first game will be at the Bernabéu. Fate will be sealed, on the contrary of last season, at the Etihad.
Rodrygo’s Champions League numbers
- > 37 games: 23 wins, 5 draws and 9 defeats
- > 15 goals and 9 assists
- > He surpassed Ronaldo and Adriano in goals scored in the tournament
