Real Madrid News
Rodrygo talks Vinicius, Champions League, Haaland: “No one knows how to stop him”
With three goals and an assist to his name in Real Madrid’s last five games, Rodrygo Goes is in fine touch. The Brazilian has enjoyed a fine season under Carlo Ancelotti and has become a regular starter in the lineup.
In 30 league appearances this season, he has scored six goals and provided eight assists for Real Madrid. Further, he averages 1.4 key passes per game and has created ten big chances.
The youngster recently gave an interview to RTVE ahead of Real Madrid’s Copa del Rey final where he talked about the club’s position across all competitions and Vinicius Jr amongst other topics.
Rodrygo spoke about Real Madrid’s upcoming UEFA Champions League semifinal tie against Manchester City and singled out Erling Haaland as their most potent weapon.
“Haaland scores a lot of goals, no one knows how to stop him. I hope he doesn’t score against us,” he said.
“Manchester City is always scary. They are a great team, they play very well, but we are confident that we can win,” he added.
He then went on to highlight the mood in the dressing room after the team’s defeat to Real Sociedad which eliminated any remaining hopes in La Liga. At the same time, however, he refused to stay stuck in the past.
“We are all angry after the defeat against Real Sociedad, but we are more calm and focused on the upcoming matches. We have important matches like the Copa del Rey final and the semifinal of the Champions League.”
The Brazilian prodigy spoke about his teammate and compatriot Vinicius Jr and his tendency to get on the referee’s nerves. Rodrygo extended his support for the left-winger saying,
“Vinicius has a lot of patience. The refs are always bothering him. He’s great, he knows that he has to have more patience but we can’t always take the blame from referees either. We see everything they do, it’s complicated to always be patient. I understand Vini.”
Talking about tomorrow’s Copa del Rey final against Osasuna, he said: “Osasuna are a very good team. We know it will be difficult, but for Real Madrid, it is never just another title. Whenever we play a final we are going to fight because we want to win. Many of us here are missing the Copa del Rey and we are going to try to win it.”
The cloud of uncertainty over Karim Benzema’s future has served as a major headache for the Real Madrid board, as they kickstart their team planning ahead of the new season.
Recent reports claim the Frenchman is strongly considering a move to Saudi Arabia, after receiving a lucrative €150 million offer from Al Ittihad. He was close to renewing his contract at Santiago Bernabeu not too long ago, but it appears the tables have turned lately.
Nevertheless, Real Madrid are yet to give up on Benzema and still harbour hopes of renewing his contract in the coming weeks, reports Alfredo Matilla.
The Spanish journalist suggests Real Madrid have not closed the file on Benzema. Coach Carlo Ancelotti has recently met the forward to clarify his future and it appears the club are set to do everything they can to keep hold of the player.
Benzema’s departure, after all, could put the club in a major dilemma, where they must either sign a top-class striker or settle for a low-cost alternative for the entirety of next season.
Harry Kane has been earmarked as the ideal replacement for Benzema. But his acquisition could potentially jeopardise Real Madrid’s bid to sign either Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappe in 2024. The club have also faced difficulties negotiating with Daniel Levy, the Spurs chairman.
As far as the low-cost options are concerned, Real Madrid are interested in Roberto Firmino, who will become a free agent in the summer.
However, the Brazilian international is not the most productive striker around and his struggles in front of goal could put more pressure on players like Vinicius Junior next season.
Real Madrid, therefore, will hope to keep hold of Benzema’s services for another year. Unfortunately, though, the player has given a cold response so far and left training early, without speaking too much.
So it will be interesting to see whether or not the veteran striker opts to remain at Bernabeu for another year.
