Real Madrid forward Rodrygo Goes is one of La Liga’s brightest young stars, and his solid performance against Galatasaray is another sign that he needs to be a consistent part of Zinedine Zidane’s rotation.
Rodrygo received the first start of his Real Madrid career against Galatasaray last Tuesday, slotting in across from Eden Hazard on the right side of the formation. Although he didn’t score a scintillating wonder goal as he did a month earlier against Osasuna, Rodrygo put in a mature, assured shift in a must-win Champions League matchup.
The 18-year-old didn’t look too big for the moment either, performing well in front of a raucous Istanbul crowd that was ready for a Galatasaray upset. Rodrygo defended capably, worked his tail off on both ends of the pitch, and had a few bright moments on the ball. He’s clearly a cut above the rest when it comes to his explosiveness with the ball at his feet, as his change-of-direction skills are right there with Hazard’s.
This was a strong display from Rodrygo, who has clearly shown that he deserves to be ahead of Lucas Vazquez in the pecking order. The injuries to Vazquez and Gareth Bale afforded Rodrygo this surprise opportunity to start in the Champions League, and his performance all but solidifies his spot above Vazquez.
But notice that I did not say Rodrygo should “start”, since it would be unfair to thrust those responsibilities on him as a La Liga rookie. Moreover, Bale has played well this season when healthy and will keep his starting job, barring anything shocking.
Yet we have seen teenagers start and excel for top clubs, so it shouldn’t be out of the question for Rodrygo to continue to play a key role in Real Madrid’s attack. As important as it is to ease players like Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior along, Rodrygo already looks like a better player than Vinicius despite having less experience in the team. That’s high praise, too, since Vinicius is a good player in his own right; it just might be that Rodrygo is a “special” talent on par with the likes of, say, Jadon Sancho or Kai Havertz.
Rodrygo’s goal against Osasuna offered a tantalizing glimpse at the technical qualities, athleticism, and maturity in front of goal that he brings to the table. The entirety of the Galatasaray game, however, showed more layers to Rodrygo’s game, including his ability to be a two-way winger. If that was the primary praise for Vazquez, Rodrygo, in one fell swoop, has ultimately rendered those supporting arguments for Vazquez moot.
Zidane has to consider Rodrygo a regular on the substitute’s bench, and the only way he can keep improving is to receive regular game time and trust. There will be lumps, and Rodrygo shouldn’t be forced to play in too many high-leverage games. But Real have their eyes to the future and need to give special talents like Rodrygo real opportunities, even as youngsters.
And in fact, Rodrygo has shown that he’s a better option than a number of the other players at his position. He’s proved himself useful to Real’s championship efforts in 2019-2020, and Zidane should view the youngster as an important part of his gameplan going forward.