Versatile Rodrygo Real Madrid's low-key weapon at Man City
Rodrygo struck twice in a late blitz against Manchester City in 2022 to help Madrid knock the English side out and was on target again in the 3-3 quarter-final first leg draw last week. While his Brazilian compatriot and strike partner Vinicius Junior and England international Jude Bellingham draw most of the attention, Rodrygo flies by under the radar.
Rodrygo's goals tend to come in fits and starts and with three in his last two games, the forward may have hit a new purple patch at a crucial moment. In the first leg Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti deployed Rodrygo on the left of the attack, a position where he has been used sparingly, more often on the opposite flank.
The forward netted after 14 minutes to put his team 2-1 up, escaping into space down his wing, his shot deflecting off Manuel Akanji and past Stefan Ortega. Content to play wherever and whenever the coach deems necessary, Rodrygo is a versatile weapon for Ancelotti.
"They didn't expect me to be on the left, we did it differently today and it went well," Rodrygo said after the thriller at the Santiago Bernabeu. "We have to win there, it's all open - whoever makes the fewest errors will go through."
Madrid made several of those last season at City, thrashed 4-0 in the semi-final second leg which saw Pep Guardiola's side sail through to the final 5-1 on aggregate. 'Los Blancos' licked their wounds and have come back stronger this season, leading the Spanish top flight by eight points and looking sharper with Vinicius and Rodrygo backed up by Bellingham in attack.
Rodrygo has superb poise on the ball and dances slickly and effortlessly around defenders, with his movement making him hard to track. Madrid will be looking to hurt Manchester City on the counter-attack at
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