Real Madrid: The Champions League is Rodrygo’s competition

Rodrygo Silva de Goes feels a special tingle when the Champions League anthem is played. It is ‘his’ competition after all. He proved it on his European debut with a hat-trick against Galatasaray at the Bernabéu, and did it in front of the whole world with two wonderful goals against Manchester City in 82 seconds in the semi-finals last season. And if that wasn’t enough, this season he scored a brace at Stamford Bridge that knocked Chelsea out of the competition. He has 15 goals in the Champions League and 13 in La Liga since joining Madrid for €45m.

Rodrygo is looking forward to tonight’s game at the Etihad. With his brace against Osasuna in the Copa del Rey final at La Cartuja, he won his sixth title in a Real Madrid shirt (Champions League, La Liga, European Super Cup, Spanish Super Cup, Club World Cup and Copa del Rey). This week he has intensified his physical preparation in order to be at 100% for the mouthwatering encounter in Manchester. Carlo Ancelotti rested him against Getafe to avoid risks, but Rodrygo has worked as hard as ever in his gym at home.

Rodrygo’s preparation

He does it all in with Marcel Duarte, his trusted physical trainer, who was hired to help increase his stamina and endurance to compete at the highest level. Let’s not forget that Rodrygo weighed just 63 kilos when he arrived at Real Madrid in 2019, but he’s now up to 67 thanks to the bodybuilding and strengthening plan, in sync with a nutritionist who looks after his diet to make him the explosive and resilient player he is now.

Rodrygo hoping to emulate Ronaldo

The most striking thing about these extra private training sessions, to whose images AS has had access, is that in all of them, Rodrygo appears wearing the Brazil shirt. But not just any shirt, that of his idol Ronaldo Nazario, a player he idolises.

Rodrygo has been working on his upper body over the last few days ahead of a game that could go into extra time, and also his explosiveness, given that the game against City is likely to be counter-attack based with space in behind, something that could be very beneficial for the Brazilian.