“Pray for Espanyol”, “Expect some fire” - Real Madrid fans excited after finding out where Rodrygo will play in La Liga clash
Real Madrid supporters were elated with manager Carlo Ancelotti's decision to deputize Rodrygo down the left flank in the starting lineup against Espanyol. The two sides are facing off at the Santiago Bernabeu in La Liga on Saturday, September 21.
With fixtures coming thick and fast, the Italian tactician has opted to rest a few of his crucial players. He rested the likes of Antonio Rudiger, Ferland Mendy, and most importantly Vinicius Jr. Hence, Rodrygo, who has been in fine nick in the initial part of the season, will start down the left.
The 23-year-old, who is naturally a left winger, has been deployed regularly on the right to accommodate him and Vinicius together. Whenever Rodrygo has been handed the opportunity to play down his preferred flank, he has impressed on most occasions.
Hence, when the lineup for the upcoming clash was announced, Real Madrid fans took to social media to express their excitement.
There were similar reactions from other fans, with one tweeting:
"LEFT WING RODRYGO"
Another wrote:
"RODRYGO LW???? COOK"
Another one posted:
"Rodrygo masterclass today"
Despite not boasting fancy numbers, Rodrygo has been one of the most effective forwards for Los Blancos this season. With a goal and two assists in seven games across competitions to his name, the Brazilian international would be eager to beef up that goal-contribution tally.
Aurelien Tchouameni pairs up with Eder Militao in the Real Madrid backline for Espanyol clash
Carlo Ancelotti decided to rest first-choice center-back Antonio Rudiger against Espanyol. Hence, due to a lack of deep pockets in the position, Real Madrid will field a stopper-back pairing of Aurelien Tchouameni and Eder Militao. The Frenchman is a defensive midfielder by trait. However, he has been forced to operate as a makeshift center-back on occasions even during Real Madrid's victorious campaign last season.
Meanwhile, Fran Garcia will start in the left-back spot with Ferland Mendy given a rest. Dani Carvajal will return to the right-back position after playing as a center-back in the UEFA Champions League encounter against Stuttgart in midweek.
With Tchouameni preoccupied with his responsibilities in the backline, Luka Modric is set to operate as the holding midfielder. Jude Bellingham and Fede Valverde will operate alongside the veteran.
Madrid's frontline remains stacked despite Vinicius' absence. Arda Guler will start down the right while Rodrygo, as mentioned earlier, will take up the spot of his Brazilian teammate. Kylian Mbappe, expectedly, will start down the middle and hope to continue his rich vein of form.