The situation
Ancelotti is used to remembering that the important thing is not to start or finish the games, but to determine them. From that lesson the most outstanding student is undoubtedly Rodrygo , who already amply demonstrated it last season and continues to do so in the present, as in yesterday’s Clásico: he left in 85′ for Vinicius, caused a penalty in 89 ′ (it took time to point out because the referee sanctioned it after reviewing it in the VAR) and transformed it into 91′ to make the final 3-1, with which the whites shook off Barcelona’s dominance, which threatened to draw. Another goal for a Rodrygo who has started the course as the past ended: flying. He closed 2021-22 with seven goals and three assists in his last 12 games; In this 2022-23, he has five goals and three assists in another 12 games, participating in a goal every 92 minutes. And he continues to show that, despite the fact that he knocks hard on the door of starting, Carletto has good reason to keep it as if it were an ace up his sleeve. In the Classic, he was once again the gold standard for Madrid. A role that sublimated last season, especially in Europe. In fact, he started the Champions League by giving Madrid the victory at the San Siro against Inter, on the first day of the tournament, with a roguish goal in the 89th minute. In the quarterfinals against Chelsea, he opened the door to extra time by scoring 1-3. And in the semi-final second leg, the even more difficult one: two goals in two minutes against City to get Madrid out of the hole, an essential requirement to get a ticket to the final in Paris, where the 14th came. In the League he was also seen, especially in the comeback in Seville: he came out after the break to score a goal and assist in another, in a victory that virtually certified the league title.
The details
Rodrygo, after the match, revealed the order of the Whites’ penalty takers: “I took it because neither Benzema nor Modric was there, and I’m the next one…”. Someone so young has not scored a penalty in a Clásico since a certain Santiago Bernabéu in 1916, 106 years ago. And to close the evening, he trolled his eternal rival a bit: he tweeted a photo celebrating the victory with the text: “God’s plan” (translated, “God’s plan”). It is the title of the best-known song by a certain Canadian rapper whose logo Barça wore on his shirt yesterday: Drake.