Real Madrid News
Rodrygo annoyed with Ancelotti over substitution vs Sevilla: “I wanted to score one more”
Real Madrid’s last away game of the season saw them secure a 2-1 victory over Sevilla. It was a hard-fought victory for the Spanish giants, who had to rely on two goals from Rodrygo to claim three points.
Speaking after the game, Rodrygo said he was pleased with his performance on the night. He particularly liked the free-kick goal. “It is difficult to choose. They were two nice goals. I think the second one was a bit better, but scoring a free-kick is always special. I hadn’t scored a free-kick for a while. I’m pleased with them both,” he said.
Talking about his free-kick, the forward added, “We always work on them in training and talk about them beforehand. We have some very good free-kick takers and whoever is more confident takes it. I picked up the ball and everyone knew I was going to shoot, there wasn’t any fuss. We trust each other.”
Rodrygo was named the Man of the Match following his two goals and exceptional performance against the Sevilla backline. However, he was a bit frustrated after not being allowed the opportunity to bag a hat-trick.
“I was a bit angry because I wanted to score one more and make it a hat trick. But that’s OK. The coach told me that it was no big deal and that we were going to win anyway,” he said.
Another player who was involved in this game was Lucas Vazquez. The winger said he is enjoying his life playing as a fullback at Real Madrid, stating, “I’m very comfortable playing at full-back. I’ve been playing as a winger for many years, but right now I’m really enjoying my new position. I’m feeling better every year and I like it, I feel very good.”
Lucas went on to talk about the importance of the youth system at Real Madrid. “It’s always important to have home-grown players. Those of us who have been at Real Madrid for so many years know how hard you have to work and what it takes to get to the first team,” he said.
Dani Ceballos, meanwhile, took to social media to show his leg after the injury, with the caption, “Leaving your team with 10 and coming back. Now that is difficult. For real.”
Ceballos was the victim of a rash tackle which left him injured. But he managed to stay on for ninety minutes and help Real Madrid secure the tie.
Source: Real Madrid website
One of the biggest positives for Real Madrid from the last season was the breakthrough of young midfielder Thiago Pitarch.
The 19-year-old La Fabrica prospect had been in the first-team dynamics since pre-season under Xabi Alonso, but finally got his senior debut under Alvaro Arbeloa at the turn of the year.
From that moment on, Pitarch did not look back at all, gaining prominence in the team and even starting important matches ahead of established players like Eduardo Camavinga and Dani Ceballos.
However, things have not gone as per plans for the teenager this season as he has yet to play a single minute of first-team football.
January loan no longer ruled out
As such, Diario AS now reports that Pitarch would consider leaving Real Madrid on loan during the January transfer window if his situation does not improve.
The teenage midfielder suffered an injury in pre-season which kept him sidelined for a few weeks, denying him an opportunity to start the season under Jose Mourinho.
By the time he returned, the Portuguese tactician had already identified his preferred hierarchy in midfield, with the likes of Federico Valverde, Bernardo Silva, Aurelien Tchouameni and Camavinga firmly ahead in the pecking order.
A stark difference from his debut season
In his debut season, Pitarch ended with 16 first-team appearances for Real Madrid with two assists to his name.
In contrast, this term, the academy graduate has been called up to the matchday squad for five games by Mourinho this term, but has yet to play a single minute of football.
Given the situation, he used the international break to jump down to Castilla and play close to 250 minutes across three games, during which he also registered an assist.
The situation is far from ideal for a young talent who needs regular minutes to continue his development and build on his impressive breakthrough campaign.
As such, the possibility of a departure on loan in January could be considered, after Pitarch turned down offers in the summer to stay at Real Madrid.
A lot will depend on how things evolve in the next couple of months, but a temporary exit cannot be ruled out.
