Real Madrid travel to Liverpool for the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 later this week and enter the clash on a high thanks to a hard-fought 2-0 win over Osasuna on Saturday.

A late period of dominance from Carlo Ancelotti’s side steered them to within five points of Barcelona in La Liga. Marco Asensio and Federico Valverde were the goalscorers on the night, but every player in white colours had a critical role to play at El Sadar.

Alvaro Rodriguez made his La Liga debut late in Sunday’s clash, coming on in the 88th minute. Despite spending just five minutes on the field, the Castilla player took full advantage of his opportunity and ended the game with an assist to Asensio. The 18-year-old ran the media through his ecstasy after the game and detailed his performance.

“I’m thrilled to be getting minutes under my belt for my beloved team. I work hard day in and day out so it pays off like this. I’ll keep working towards my goals,” the Uruguayan said.

“I’m just playing my game, it came off today and I’m really happy. They asked me to fight for every ball, hold onto it and bring some fresh legs to the team.”

The youngster then spoke about the positive and warm feeling of camaraderie among the Real Madrid players and how the senior players supported his incorporation and promotion.

“It’s a great group, they’ve made me feel very welcome. I’m getting on with everyone so well and I’m really grateful for their support. Camavinga came over and gave me a couple of playful digs in the stomach. Valverde told me he was happy for me too, everyone’s congratulated me.”

Rodriguez highlighted that despite playing for the biggest club in the world, every member of the squad remained grounded at Real Madrid with a deep hunger for success.

“I notice the humility they have despite being in such a big club, all the work they do every day and the competitiveness they have.”

The player spent six years at the youth setup of Girona before moving to Castilla, and his family had a big role in helping him push through the entire process. The teenager expressed his gratitude to his parents saying,

“I’m immensely happy that my parents are here. They are the most important thing in my life and sharing moments like this with them brings me great happiness.”

In the recently concluded South American Youth Championships, Rodriguez scored five goals for the Uruguayan U-18 setup. He concluded his interview with a brief mention of his recent international success.

“I feel very good with my game. Playing with Uruguay has really helped me to find an alternative way to play. I’ve come here, have felt very good and I think I’ve proved it.”

Thibaut Courtois urges Real to keep winning

Thibaut Courtois returned to the lineup against Osasuna for the first time since suffering an injury during warm-up early in February. Last night marked his 100th La Liga win with Real Madrid, and he shared his thoughts on the performance after the full-time whistle.

“We have to keep winning games. It’s always a difficult ground and it was an intense game. It was a good win ahead of Tuesday’s game in Liverpool. Then we have a run of very interesting games coming up and we have to keep pushing. We’ve only just started the second half of the season and there’s still a long way to go.”

The Belgian international went on to praise Osasuna for their high press and admitted that his team struggled to cope during periods in the game.

“The pressure from them was high and it’s not always easy, plus they’re a team that presses a lot at home. We struggled a bit, but the second half was more balanced and we could have scored earlier. We kept believing we could win and we did.”

The clash between Vinicius Jr and Moi Gomez became a major talking point after the full-time whistle. Courtois was convinced that there was nothing serious in the fight between the players but had strong thoughts over the chants directed against the Brazilian by fans.

“I don’t think anything serious happened. In a previous clash, Vini was stepped on which the referee didn’t give a yellow card for. The referee said they were squaring up to each other, but I think they were talking.

“Also, in the minute of silence, they said “Vini son of a…” and then chanted “Vinicius die”. That’s unfortunate and there’s no place for such nonsense.”

The goalkeeper further elaborated on Vinicius’ performance and the impact that continuous exposure to such atrocities could have on his game.

“Vini had a great game and it’s a pity he didn’t score. I don’t think you have to look at Vini but at the people. It’s a pity because from the start you see parents with their children gesticulating vulgarly.

“Vini is playing football and he can get hot sometimes and make a gesture, but I think it’s more from the outside. When he doesn’t let external factors get to him, the tension will go away and he will carry on scoring important goals.”

Source: Real Madrid official website