Midfield governer Rodri shows he is best in business after Man City mauling of Real Madrid

Spaniard at the heart of Champions League masterclass that saw Spanish giants thrashed 4-0

Rodri celebrates after the Manchester City's Champions League smei-final victory over Real Madrid at the Etihad Stadium on May 17, 2023. Getty

Some 29 kilometres separate Villanueva de la Canada, on the western outskirts of Madrid, from the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. That’s only a little more than the distance covered by one of Villanueva’s most talented natives, Rodrigo – ‘Rodri’ – Hernandez, over 180 masterly minutes spread over two nights against Madrid’s most famous sporting institution.

Most of that running involved Real Madrid players chasing, in vain, the shadow of Rodri, the cool, alert governor of Manchester City’s midfield.

As Real, deposed champions of Europe returned yesterday to the capital of Spain, thrashed 4-0 in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final at City, it was to a barrage of searching questions.

Among them how a madrilene showing such command during the tie’s first leg, the 1-1 draw in the Bernabeu, had somehow been overlooked by Real, the most glamorous club of his city, throughout his career. “Never on Real’s radar, not as a youth player nor as a senior professional,” noted the Spanish sports newspaper, As. “All very odd.”

El Pais called Rodri’s display, his overshadowing of Real’s two greats in midfield, Luke Modric and Toni Kroos, his authority in his defensive work and his initiative in building City’s relentless attacks, “imperial.” Rodri, El Pais thought, “was the machine that swept the champions aside”.

The winning manager, Pep Guardiola, celebrating City’s emphatic arrival in their second European Cup final within three years, had singled out his Spanish compatriot. “He is so important to us,” said Guardiola. “People talk about Erling Haaland, but without Rodri, we would not be where we are.”

The statistics from Wednesday’s masterclass bore him out: No City player had more touches of the ball than Rodri on an evening when Madrid were asphyxiated by City’s custody of possession. No player in either team issued more passes than Rodri’s 113, 90 per cent of them finding their target. He was involved directly in the build-up to two of City’s goals.

For Rodrygo last season, Rodri this. Guardiola traced back a coming-of-age performance for City – now soaring favourites as they prepare to face Italy’s Inter Milan to, at last, claim the club’s first Champions League title – to events at the Bernabeu in last year’s semi-final.

Manchester City 4 Real Madrid 0: Player ratings

City had led it from the second minute of the first leg until the 91st minute of the second leg. Madrid substitute Rodrygo’s sudden brace of goals from the bench dragged the tie into extra-time, when Karim Benzema’s penalty eliminated City.

“In that moment we had to swallow poison,” recalled the City manager, “and a year of being criticised for not having character. But sport always gives you another chance, and one year later we are in the final of the Champions League.”

Rodri echoed Guardiola. “Football gives opportunities to make amends, and you can always learn from past mistakes,” he said. “This season we have done things better and reached a peak moment.” He has his own redemptive arc. He has risen to a status where Guardiola is calling him “our best midfielder” after the teenaged disappointment of being let go by Atletico Madrid.

He rejoined Atletico from Villarreal in his early 20s, before signing for City in 2019. He closes out his fourth season in Manchester aspiring to a Treble. City can win their fifth Premier League in six years by beating Chelsea on Sunday. They face Manchester United in the FA final on June 3, and seven days later confront Inter in Istanbul.

City’s specific improvements, from 12 months ago, naturally include the signing of Haaland, who but for stunning saves from Thibaut Courtois at the Etihad, would have joined Bernardo Silva, who grabbed two first-half goals, Eder Militao, who scored an own goal, and Julian Alvarez on Wednesday’s scoresheet.

But the adjusted arrangements in the back half of the team, with Guardiola encouraging John Stones to step up from a position on the right of the defence into central midfield, has increased City’s control. It allows Rodri to take up more advanced positions, to make use of his passing excellence closer to the opposition goal.

That meant a step in a very different direction to which the Spain national team guided Rodri during the World Cup in Qatar, when he was used in central defence, the anchor midfield role reserved for Barcelona’s Sergio Busquets.

Spain’s campaign ended in an early elimination, at the last-16 round and Busquets’ retirement from national duty. Rodri will be restored to Spain’s midfield from now on, and has a very real prospect, at 26, of becoming admired as the very best in the world in his position.