Rodrygo Goes’s two goals gained Real Madrid the Copa del Rey and emphasized his flair for the big event. However, Manchester City, Real Madrid’s opponents in the Champions League semi-final, do not want a reminder that this is the case.
The spectacular goals scored by the Brazilian forward against City in the 90th and 91st minutes of the match against City in the previous season prevented City from advancing to the final. Madrid advanced to the next round of the competition after claiming victory during extra time at the Santiago Bernabeu. They went on to win the competition for a record-extending 14th time overall.
The team coached by Pep Guardiola, on the other hand, has not won the trophy to this point. With the dangerous Erling Haaland leading the line, many people believe City to be heavy favorites to gain vengeance on Madrid. However, the kings of Europe can never be counted out, especially not with Rodrygo on the prowl.
After completing the set with a 2-1 victory against Osasuna on Saturday, the attacker, who is 22 years old, has won every trophy that is conceivable during his short time at Real Madrid. The most recent addition to his collection is the Copa del Rey.
Rodrygo scored inside the first two minutes of the match, and his goal proved to be the game-winning one after Lucas Torro had brought the Pamplona side back within one.
After Rodrygo scored his brace, Carlo Ancelotti, the coach of Real Madrid, commented, “Nobody knows just how far he can go.” “He is a very elegant player, with amazing movement, and he scores goals,” said the commentator. He is making remarkable strides in his recovery.
Rodrygo, who joined Madrid from Santos in 2019, thrives under the same kind of intense strain that makes cup competition so successful for Madrid. It was a momentous triumph for Los Blancos on their way to the championship as he brought Madrid level against their rivals Atletico in the quarterfinals of the Copa to force extra time.
The entirety of his five goals scored in the knockout stages of the Champions League have been scored against English opponents. Rodrygo scored two goals against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge to advance Real Madrid to the semifinals of the league, and he acknowledged that he believes he has a special relationship with the sport.
Rodrygo stated, “I always say, I have something special with the Champions League,” and he was referring to the competition. “I want to keep going. Obviously, I want to score more goals in La Liga, but I thought I performed pretty well in our most recent game, and I was frustrated that I couldn’t find the back of the net.
“Two goals were scored today. It is important to me to maintain scoring goals in the Champions League. It began with a hat-trick in his European home debut against Galatasaray, which resulted in a 6-0 rout for his team.
Rodrygo, who was just 18 years old at the time, became the second youngest player in the history of the Champions League to score a hat trick, behind only the legendary Real Madrid star Raul Gonzalez.
Over the course of the previous two years, Rodrygo has made a total of 21 appearances in the Champions League and has scored 10 goals. During that time, he has played 63 games in La Liga and has scored the same amount of goals. Even though he came off the bench to play the lead role in Madrid’s comeback against Manchester City, his performance in 2023 has elevated him to a pivotal position for Ancelotti.
Rodrygo is a consistent genius who is used on the right flank and sometimes in the role of playing behind the striker. He is a fantastic ball handler who can pull off flips, tricks, and deadly finishes when the situation calls for it.
Rodrygo’s talent is sometimes overlooked since his countryman Vinicius Junior, who plays on the other flank, frequently steals the show with his speed and flair. This may be frustrating for Rodrygo.
Rodrygo is seen in a more favorable light in Spain, in contrast to Vinicius, whose qualities are praised but who has a reputation for engaging in behavior that is frequently criticized. The attacker paid tribute to a kid battling cancer with his second goal in the cup final match against Osasuna.
“I dedicated it to Nacho, a kid I visited at a place that cares for children with cancer,” said Rodrygo. “Nacho was one of the patients there.”
I traveled all the way over there to pay them a visit and bring them a few presents. He requested me to make the letter ‘I’ for Ignacio if I scored, so the second goal was dedicated to him.
Rodrygo’s starting role against City is not a certain conclusion at this point. In important matches, Ancelotti may occasionally play Fede Valverde on the wing to take advantage of his high level of effort. However, given Rodrygo’s recent play and the fact that the Italian is eager to win trophies, it will be difficult for Ancelotti to bench Rodrygo.
“This was a title I wanted to win because it was the last I was missing and at 22 years old, I’ve won everything possible,” Rodrygo said after Madrid’s victory in Seville on Saturday. “This was a title I wanted to win because it was the last I was missing,” Rodrygo added.