“Sometimes people get confused that we’re always going to play beautiful” – Rodri opens up after Manchester City’s fiery draw with Atletico Madrid
Manchester City midfielder Rodri has revealed how his teammates reacted to their fiery Champions League encounter at Atletico Madrid.
The Premier League leaders edged past the hosts after winning the tie 1-0 on aggregate following a goalless second leg at the Wanda Metropolitano. In doing so, they set up a semi-final clash against 13-time champions Real Madrid.
The final minutes of the Champions League tie between Atletico Madrid and Manchester City were marked by an enormous brawl that lasted four minutes and ended with Felipe being sent off, and Stefan Savic and Nathan Ake cautioned. https://t.co/WwYbMWuLYo
However, the clash will be remembered for the controversy near the end of the game, as a full-blooded Felipe challenge on Phil Foden sparked a 20-man brawl. Tensions boiled over following a trademark performance from Diego Simeone's men full of cynical fouls, provoking the opposition and a solid defensive low block.
Following the game, midfielder Rodri shared the pride he felt for his team following the gutsy win. As per The MEN, he told CityTV:
"We're very proud. We did a great two games against a very tough opponent, very tough defenders. We compete until the end. They have the weapons of the stadium. I know them very well, they push until the end, and we suffer, which is normal. Sometimes people get confused that we're always going to play beautiful but it's not like this."
"They have good players and punish you. We were good and had an unbelievable competitive mentality and we got through. I think we grow a lot in this sense these last years and we need to keep improving as we are going to live moments like this in the next games for sure. We need to be together with a strong mentality and to never give up. That is the way.”
Looking back at it, Foden has done very well here. I'm sure it hurt, but he certainly "made the most" of that kick from Felipe. Which got Felipe sent off, caused Savic to lose his mind, and triggered a brawl that interrupted the momentum Atletico Madrid were building. Huge move.
Rodri claims Manchester City won't look past Liverpool before Champions League semi-final
The 25-year-old defensive midfielder has been a superb addition to Pep Guardiola's side since his arrival from Atletico in 2019. He has played 142 times and was a vital part of the team that won the Premier League last season.
The Spaniard admitted his teammates are buzzing for the semi-final clash against Los Blancos. However, he insisted City are entirely focused on their FA Cup semi-final against Liverpool on Saturday. Rodri added:
"We expect another tough team, another way of playing (against Real Madrid). But we think about it when we face them, let's think about Liverpool. It's massive for us to go through [to the semi-finals]. We go to the next game with confidence. We need to recover because they are so demanding games. I'm sure on Saturday we'll be in the best shape."
"It's very tough, the calendar is crazy, we have two games with Atletico, against Liverpool. Now, we have Liverpool again. It's too many games and difficult games but it is what it is. We have to recover and give the best shape in the next game."
Rodri's season in a nutshell, can't believe he gets compared to Rice and Fabinho https://t.co/Zp6xuUVSXe