Real Madrid News
Rodrygo, Courtois hail Real Madrid prodigy after Stuttgart win – ‘Did something that nobody would do’
Real Madrid had to battle hard to walk away with a 3-1 win against VfB Stuttgart in their UEFA Champions League opener at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday night.
Thibaut Courtois and Rodrygo Goes were the undisputed heroes on the night for Real Madrid as both put in starring displays at opposite ends of the pitch to help the team grab a victory.
Courtois came up clutch in goal, making a barrage of crucial saves to keep Stuttgart at bay while Rodrygo made things happen in attack each time he got on the ball and even assisted Kylian Mbappe for the opener.
Antonio Rudiger and Endrick scored late in the game to seal the win, with the latter becoming Real Madrid’s youngest goalscorer in Champions League history.
Rodrygo hails Endrick’s confidence
Speaking to the club media after the game, Rodrygo hailed Endrick’s confidence for taking a shot at goal from 30 yards out when he had Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. flanking him in a 3v2 situation.
“Endrick is crazy (laughs). He did something that nobody would do, but I’m very happy for him and I understand the joy he must be going through,” said Rodrygo.
Meanwhile, the 23-year-old also discussed his own performance and the assist he gave to Mbappe, saying:
“The coach always asks me to attack. Tchouameni gave me the pass, I attacked the back, I went alone, but then I found two markers, I saw Kylian alone and I passed to him.”
There has been a lot of chatter surrounding Rodrygo and his relationship with Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, and Vinicius Jr. of late. But dismissing all rumours about any ego-clash, the forward said:
“We are getting better every day in training, on a day-to-day basis and we are closer friends. I hope this friendship continues so we can do good things on the pitch. We are improving, there is still a little bit to go and we will get better every game.”
On the team’s performance, he added: “It’s important to win with this shirt and even more so in the Champions League. It was important to start by winning because it gives us confidence. It went well, we won and now we have to keep improving.
“We weren’t playing badly in the first half. The pressing wasn’t good, but the coach ordered us well there.”
Courtois impressed by Endrick
Meanwhile, Courtois, who also spoke to the club media after the game, also highlighted Endrick’s confidence for taking that shot in that situation, saying:
“If he has the confidence to shoot and the power to do it, everyone has to shut up. He has a lot of personality to shoot and not pass the ball to Vini or Kylian.”
The Belgian international, who walked away with the MVP award on the night, assessed the team’s performance, saying:
“Stuttgart are a very attacking team and play well, but they also leave space at the back. In the first 25 minutes, they hurt us, but then we improved and scored a goal.
“Then we didn’t know how to take advantage of counter-attacks and quick transitions, but we reacted well to their goal and won.”
Continuing, he added: “They pressed well. Sometimes we came out well and sometimes we made things difficult for ourselves because we couldn’t find the free man.
“It’s something we have to work on. Starting with a win is very important in this new Champions League format.”
Source: Real Madrid TV
In what will come as a pleasing development for fans, Fabrizio Romano reports that Real Madrid forward Rodrygo could make a comeback from his injury earlier than expected.
The 25-year-old Brazilian international has been out of action since March after suffering an ACL injury during a La Liga game against Getafe.
Due to the complete rupture of the ACL, coupled with associated meniscus damage, it was suggested that the attacker was staring at a lengthy time out on the sidelines and might not return until 2027.
In fact, the forward’s father, Eric Goes, recently stated in an interview that the Real Madrid ace could be back in February next year, just before the business end of the campaign.
Rodrygo could be back in December
However, as per the update from Romano, Rodrygo’s comeback could happen well before that expected date.
Indeed, if things continue to progress at the current rate, the 25-year-old attacker might return to action in December or by January 2027 at the latest.
This will come as a welcome boost for Jose Mourinho & co., considering that Rodrygo is a valuable player for the team.
Even though he had endured a tough spell prior to his form, the Brazilian’s versatility, work rate off the ball, and eye for a goal make him an asset.
Rodrygo eager to be back at his best
The update from Romano further states that Rodrygo feels very grateful to Real Madrid for all the help and support they have given him during this difficult phase of his career.
As such, the Brazilian international has made it a mission to return to action in the best shape possible and make an impact from the get-go.
The attacker has only recently begun working on the pitch with the ball indicating the significant progress he has made on the road to recovery.
And, if there are no setbacks, Real Madrid could recover one of their ace attackers before the end of the current year.
So far in his career, Rodrygo has made 297 appearances for Real Madrid, scoring 71 goals. He has a contract with the club until 2028.
