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Barcelona’s Brazilian right-back Dani Alves has been left impressed by Real Madrid forward Rodrygo’s Champions League performance against Manchester City. Rodrygo's late brace on Wednesday night (5 May) compelled his compatriot to ponder the importance of Brazilians in the sport.
Madrid welcomed City to the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final clash. The Citizens carried a one-goal advantage from the first leg, which doubled when Riyad Mahrez found the back of the net in the 73rd minute. Just 16 minutes away from elimination, Los Blancos needed someone to step up, take the game by the scruff of its neck, and deliver.
Young substitute Rodrygo emerged as their savior, converting from Karim Benzema’s brilliant cutback in the 90th minute to give Madrid a glimmer of hope. The 21-year-old struck again in the first minute of injury time, this time thumping home a header from close range.
The 2-1 scoreline (5-5 on aggregate) pushed the game into extra time, where Benzema scored the winning goal via a penalty. Although a Barcelona faithful, Alves could not help but celebrate Los Blancos’ quality and his countryman’s contribution in the memorable win.
Dismissing that there was any luck involved in Real Madrid beating Manchester City, Alves posted on Instagram:
"Football friends just like life there is no such thing as luck; EITHER YOU DOMINATE THE GAME OR THE GAME DOMINATES YOU!!!! Ahhh WHAT WOULD FOOTBALL BE LIKE WITHOUT THE BRAZILIANS!!!"
Considering the fierce rivalry between Madrid and Barcelona, Alves’ post comes as a breath of fresh air. However, that does not mean he will be any less committed when flying into tackles the next time the two teams meet on the pitch.
Real Madrid book their 17th European final appearance
Real Madrid are, by far, the most decorated team in the Champions League. The 13-time winners know all about playing in the finals and winning them. Their record of 13 wins in 16 finals speaks for itself. Courtesy of last night’s success over Manchester City, Madrid are set to feature in their 17th final.
The final on 28 May in Paris will be a replay of the 2017-18 final against Liverpool, when Gareth Bale's brace propelled Madrid to a 3-1 win. Jurgen Klopp’s side will be hungry for revenge, making the summit clash a mouth-watering prospect for fans and neutrals alike.
