Products You May Like
Real Madrid hero Rodrygo has revealed he lost a bet with his father as he believed he would score a hat trick against Manchester City in Wednesday’s Champions League semifinal second leg.
With Madrid trailing 1-0, and 5-3 on aggregate, heading into the 90th minute of the encounter at the Bernabeu, second-half substitute Rodrygo scored twice in the space of two minutes to give Madrid a miraculous comeback and take the game to extra-time.
– Ogden: Magic Real Madrid do it again
– Dawson: City stunned by Rodrygo double
Karim Benzema scored from the penalty spot in extra-time for a 3-1 win on the night and 6-5 aggregate victory, and set up a meeting with Liverpool in the final on May 28 in Paris.
Rodrygo celebrated but joked it was not a perfect night for him.
“I made a bet with my father that I would score three goals and, well, I only scored two,” he said. “I’m missing one, I will get that one in the final.”
Asked if he meant his real father, Eric Goes, or if he was referring to Madrid teammate Luka Modric, whom he jokingly calls “dad,” Rodrygo said: “My real father.”
Modric (36) and Rodrygo (21) have jokingly called each other as “father” and “son” since the veteran midfielder found out that he was only one year younger than Rodrygo’s father, who is a retired footballer.
It was not the first time this season Madrid had made a comeback in the competition.
They had also trailed to Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16 and Chelsea in the quarterfinals before rallying late to advance.
“With this jersey anything can happen, we fight until the end,” Rodrygo said. “The truth is I have no words to describe what happened. We were almost dead. God helped me. It was one of the happiest days of my life, professionally.
“Being able to come in and change the game, score two goals. I’m happy. It was another magical night at the Bernabeu, as it always is. “The crowd always helps us, in an inexplicable way.”
Rodrygo has scored five goals and set up two more in 10 Champions League games for Madrid this season, four as a starter.
He knows he is on the right path to make Tite’s Brazil World Cup squad.
“I’m working for that [World Cup],” he said. “I’m very happy with how things are going. When you are at Real Madrid, the demands are high. The World Cup is soon and I know I can help the national team. I will keep working in the same way to be there.”