Real Madrid were made to suffer by local favourites Cacereno on Tuesday night in a Copa del Rey Round of 32 game that involved few chances. In the end, a well-worked finish by Rodygo Goes helped Los Blancos secure a place in the next round.

While the match had a host of storylines in itself, one of the most special ones was that of Alvaro Rodriguez.

The 18-year-old striker, who plays for Castilla under Raul Gonzalez, came on for the last 22 minutes of the night to make his first-team debut and recorded one shot, two clearances and a tackle.

Alvaro Rodriguez has been with Real Madrid since 2020 when he arrived from the Girona youth setup. The young Uruguayan has scored nine goals in 31 matches for Castilla and got his big break for the Merengues’ first-team setup last night.

The debutant spoke to the media about his unexpected debut after the full-time whistle and, poured out his unfiltered emotions. Completely overwhelmed by the weight of the moment, he detailed how it was one of his biggest dreams to represent Real Madrid’s first team.

“Today, I achieved the dream I have longed for ever since I was a kid. I’m so proud, I can’t put into words how I’m feeling right now.”

Carlo Ancelotti trusted the teenager to strengthen the on-field force and brought him on in the second half. The player expressed his gratitude to the manager and gave a special mention to the others that helped him along the journey.

“I’d like to thank Ancelotti for giving me the opportunity, and my family and my girlfriend as well. I have to mention my coach at Castilla, Raúl, who has been central to this.

To share the field with one’s childhood idols is an event very few footballers get to experience in their lives. Rodriguez then spoke about how he was blessed to be one of the few who got such a chance and said, 

“I’ll always remember this moment. It’s a really special day for me and I’ll always cherish it. It’s an incredible experience. I still can’t believe it. It’s a dream come true to play with the players I admire. They’re my idols. A few years ago, I was watching them on TV.”

Finally, the academy graduate opened up on the struggles faced by the team in the opening period and explained how they were forced to change their approach to exploit their opponent’s weaknesses.

“We tried to play in the first half, but then we realised that it wasn’t possible. We changed the way we played and hit long balls forward to create chances. We managed to get the win in the end.”

Source: Real Madrid official website