The Brazilian is expected to start at the point of attack alongside his compatriot Vinicius Jr. to face Borussia Dortmund. After a roller coaster season, Rodrygo faces his last chance to make a mark, even if he already seems to have his head elsewhere.
Shy, hesitant, intimidated, or sometimes, perhaps, uncomfortable, Rodrygo is not having a dream fifth season in the colors of Real Madrid. Has the Brazilian really found his place in this team where his compatriot Vinicius Jr. and his teammate Jude Bellingham shine match after match? It is a legitimate question to ask, when you see how the Merengue striker manages to miss some matches.
When the 2023-2024 season should have been the one for the Real Madrid number 11 to assert himself, it has finally highlighted a flaw that has been hanging over the player’s head: his mental strength. With the future arrival of Kylian Mbappé, Rodrygo’s place in the Real Madrid eleven next season seems compromised. A natural outcome that may have had a backlash on the player this year. What’s the point of performing well if I end up on the bench? No doubt a question that has crossed his mind several times.
A striking lack of influence
So is he playing with a brake on? This is the conclusion that can be drawn from some of his matches. Yet, when you look at the figures, the Brazilian has beaten his personal record for goals in the league (10 goals) and has equaled his best in the Champions League (5 goals). But here, statistics cannot hide this irregular form.
When Benzema left Real Madrid last summer and the management decided not to sign a striker of the French striker’s standing, the club expected Rodrygo to step up. An expectation that was also expected of Vini Jr. Ten months later, a simple observation emerges. The second has had the shoulders to carry his team, to the point of being the number one star of the project, while the first has lost his way, falling back into the same problems that were already visible episodically during his five years in La Liga.
📍 Londres #APorLa15 🤍🏆 pic.twitter.com/AQM0OWrkYY
— Rodrygo Goes (@RodrygoGoes) May 30, 2024
Not enough impact, the 23-year-old player has missed the mark globally, the spotlight going to Bellingham in the first part of the season and to his Brazilian compatriot in the second part. His double confrontation against Manchester City allowed him to save the furniture with a goal in the first and second leg. Nevertheless, in less transcendent matches, where he could have shown that he has the shoulders to unlock difficult situations, he has missed out. Too often, Real Madrid has been carried by the two names mentioned above, and by the substitutes Brahim and Joselu.
Mbappé’s shadow looms, an early farewell?
The day after the Open Media Day, on Tuesday, the bombshell dropped among our colleagues at DAZN: “spend my whole life at Real Madrid? Yes, well… Anything can happen. I have a contract (until 2028), but the years I’ve spent here have been a pleasure for me. As I’ve said, I’ve always wanted to be part of this club, but we’ll see what the future holds.”
Even if the player’s entourage was quick to deny any desire on the Brazilian’s part to leave Real Madrid, the words attest to the player’s mentality. After a roller coaster season and the upcoming arrival of Kylian Mbappé – and also Endrick – the competition will be increasingly fierce for the Merengue number 11.
A situation that Rodrygo has already anticipated? Probably. In a club where every player must have a strong, even extraordinary mentality, the Brazilian has exposed a weakness with this statement. Real Madrid does not give presents to its players, either they meet the demands, or others will do the job. And all this despite the fact that Carlo Ancelotti has always believed in him.
Is he putting the cart before the horse? That is also possible. Now, it is difficult to say if the match at Wembley will be his last. Real Madrid does not plan to part ways with its player so soon, and the player will want, in principle, to prove his worth in the face of competition. The 2024-2025 season could still be crucial: the one who does not live up to the expectations of the Merengue club risks seeing the door. And if Rodrygo does not have a mental breakthrough in the next few months, he could be the one.
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