Real Madrid continued their perfect start to the 2025/26 season with a 2-1 win over Marseille in their Champions League curtain raiser on Tuesday night at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Los Blancos weren't at their ultimate best but a brace from Kylian Mbappe was enough to guide the Spanish giants to three points despite getting reduced to 10 men when Dani Carvajal was sent off for an altercation with Marseille goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli.
Rodrygo Goes started the game against Marseille and though he didn't score a goal, he earned a penalty for Los Blancos and kept the opposition defenders on their toes with his silky movements in the final third.
The young Brazilian, who was subject to rampant speculation and links during the summer transfer decided to stay at the Spanish capital and is willing to fight for his place in the team.
Rodrygo endured a period of struggle in the final few months of last season under former manager Carlo Ancelotti's tutelage and things didn't improve under Xabi Alonso initially.
He is still not a designated starter for the Spanish giants, but he has started two games out of five this season because of Vinicius Junior's recent struggles.
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What did Rodrygo say about his struggles in the last few months?
Rodrygo was one of the most talked about players in the summer transfer window as Premier League clubs like Arsenal and Liverpool were strongly linked with the Brazilian.
Recently, in an interview, the 24-year-old admitted that he was going through a difficult phase in his career last season when he struggled for form and was eventually demoted to a rotational role at the club.
In this period, Ancelotti showed a lot of support to the youngster alongside his family and therefore he shared his gratefulness to the current Brazil manager.
"I’m slowly getting back after everything I’ve been through. I went through a very difficult moment at the end of last season," Rodrygo shared in an interview with TNT Sports.
"I want to thank my family for being with me during this time. I also want to thank Ancelotti, because he knows better than anyone what I went through and helped me a lot.
“I’m not going to dwell on what I went through any longer. I’m back, happier every day and mentally sound, which is the most important thing, and returning to play."
He missed the last five games of the previous season due to some physical problem, but the issue was never fully revealed.
Rodrygo also struggled for minutes in the Club World Cup as Alonso preferred other players in his place as Los Blancos reached the semifinals of the competition in United States.
However, the Brazil international seems to have recovered from the lingering issue and has earned Alonso's trust resulting in a start against Marseille and he fared pretty well.
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