Is the avenue open for more LW minutes for Rodrygo Goes?
Rodrygo Goes helped open the scoring for Real Madrid at Eibar with a wonderful lofted through ball into the box/early cross for Karim Benzema, whose first touch and finish were unerring. The pass itself was Rodrygo’s fifth assist in all competitions this season and a shining example of his emerging chance-creation.
Vinicius Junior has started in several consecutive games at left winger with Eden Hazard injured, and he had something of a bounce-back performance on Tuesday night vs. Athletic Club. But he did not play on Sunday due to gastroenteritis. So the opportunity was Rodrygo’s for the taking.
Although he missed an easy chance in the second half and slipped in performance before being subbed off for Marco Asensio, I think Rodrygo showed Zinedine Zidane that he should very much be in the conversation for minutes at left winger. Earlier this year, he made a similar statement with his electrifying dribbling against Deportivo Alaves.
Per WhoScored.com, Rodrygo also won three dribbles in this game, and the stats sheet doesn’t show all the great passes he made in transition during counterattacks. Despite being only 19, his decision-making is already at the level required for a Real Madrid starter. His development is going swimmingly well.