Real Madrid: 3 Man of the Match candidates against Atleti

LW Rodrygo Goes

According to MARCA’s list of probable lineups for La Liga’s Matchday 26, Rodrygo Goes is expected to start as the left winger for Real Madrid with Marco Asensio on the right. The best overall lineup might have Vinicius Junior on the left and Rodrygo on the right so that Real can avoid playing a woefully out-of-form Asensio, though we could also see a diamond formation featuring Isco with Rodrygo and Karim Benzema up top. And if Benzema is not 100 percent, we could even see Rodrygo as the No. 9 over Mariano Diaz (the less said about him, the better!)

No matter how you spin it, Rodrygo is going to be vital to Real Madrid’s success this weekend. He made his return from injury on Matchday 25 against Real Sociedad and immediately transformed Real’s attack from toothless to inspired. Vinicius scored the decisive goal to rescue a point, but Rodrygo was the real attacking game-changer, which surprised precisely zero Madridistas.

Rodrygo is a special talent, and he can excel in his favored left wing position, even against Atletico Madrid’s defense. Kieran Trippier is a crucial player to Atleti and isn’t bad defensively, but there will be space for Rodrygo to work since Trippier’s ventures up the pitch are a key to Diego Simeone’s attack’s success.

Don’t be surprised if Rodrygo ends El Derbi as the most effective forward on either side.