Madrid (AFP)
A treble in the Champions League at only 18 years! Curling the screen, the young Brazilian Rodrygo guided Real Madrid to a 6-0 win against Galatasaray on Wednesday in the Champions League, bringing the team of Zinedine Zidane a qualification for the round of 16.
Thank you Rodrygo Goes! The striker, who arrived at Real this summer and has been on the right wing for four games to replace Gareth Bale (in the recovery phase), has signed an impeccable score, with three goals (4th, 6th, 90th + 2) and a decisive pass (45th), becoming the second youngest player to score a hat-trick in the modern history of the C1 since Spaniard Raul Gonzalez, former glory of the Real, in 1995.
The nugget formed in Santos began its recital by scoring the fastest double in the history of the Champions League in 6 minutes and 14 seconds, before adding an assist to Karim Benzema, also author of a doubled for Real's fourth goal.
Meanwhile, the Madrid captain Sergio Ramos had time to participate in the party, turning the penalty awarded by the referee (after consulting the VAR) with a panenka for a sole of the French international Steven Nzonzi on Toni Kroos (3-0, 13e).
- The Bernabeu says "Rodrygo!" -
This wide success allows Real (2nd, 7 pts) to make the hole for the qualification against Bruges (3rd, 2 pts), beaten 1-0 by Paris SG (1st, 12 pts). Galatasaray (4th, 1 pt), good last, has no chance to see the eighth.
Definitely, the Turkish club smiled at Rodrygo. It was during the first leg (won 1-0 by Real on a goal from Toni Kroos) that the Brazilian prodigy had won the trust of Zidane and his place on the right wing.
Since then, the Santiago Bernabeu stadium has had time to learn its name. And after his match on Wednesday night, he will not forget it.
A first goal after an inside hook, a second, on a uncrossed head following a center coming from the left lane of Marcelo, then a third, just before the final whistle, and now the Bernabeu starts to chant: "Rodrygo ".
Galatasaray tried to wake up, with this strike by Mario Lemina (15th) hijacked by Thibaut Courtois. But the attempts of the Turks, still without a win this season in the Champions League and which only total two successes in their last 27 European matches, have not worried the Real.
The Rodrygo show also allowed Karim Benzema to shine twice. The French striker, lonely in front of the goal, scored the fourth goal of the Real on a perfect service of the young Brazilian, then the fifth (82), on a pass from Carvajal.
- Benzema in the legend -
But these achievements have allowed him to exceed the Argentine club legend Alfredo Di Stéfano, the number of goals scored for Real in the Champions League (50, against 49 for Di Stéfano).
Thanks to this very strong home game, which erases their counter-performance against Betis Sevilla four days earlier (0-0), the Madrilenians showed that they found their automatisms in the finish, a week after a "manita "(five goals) against Leganes, October 30 (5-0) in the league.
Above all, they stop an ugly series of three consecutive games without a home win in the Champions League. Real had no longer won a European match in Santiago-Bernabeu for over a year (2-1 against Plzen on October 23, 2018).
The time when French coach Zinédine Zidane was playing his head in Turkey two weeks ago seems to be moving away. The Madrilenians will however have to keep this serious to validate their ticket for the round of 16 against Paris SG on November 26 and in Bruges on December 11.
© 2019 AFP