In a Real Madrid squad filled with experienced players seeking their fifth European title, two talented young Brazilians will be getting their first shot at Champions League glory. (More Football News)
Both Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo will be playing their first Champions League final when Real Madrid face Liverpool on May 29 (IST).
In a Real Madrid squad filled with experienced players seeking their fifth European title, two talented young Brazilians will be getting their first shot at Champions League glory. (More Football News)
Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo, a pair of 21-year-old forwards who arrived in Spain a year apart after being signed as teenage sensations in Brazil, had breakout seasons and will experience their first Champions League final on Saturday against Liverpool in suburban Paris.
바카라We imagined that this could happen one day, but we didn바카라t expect it to happen so fast,바카라 said Rodrygo, who arrived in 2019 from Brazilian club Santos. 바카라We worked hard for this moment ... we are very happy with what we have been going through here.바카라
Vinícius arrived a year earlier from Brazilian club Flamengo. He was also signed as a teenager and waited a period in Brazil before making the move to Spain after turning 18. They both played in Madrid바카라s 바카라B바카라 team before making the main squad.
바카라This will be the most important match of my career,바카라 Vinícius said. 바카라It바카라s not easy to arrive so young at a club like Real Madrid, but you get the advantage of having a chance to play in many Champions League finals. I hope this is the first of many for me.바카라
Madrid hopes that will be true as well, since it took a bet on the young Brazilians and spent 45 million euros ($48 million) on each without really knowing if they could live up to expectations. A similar move to sign another young Brazilian from Flamengo, Reinier, didn바카라t work out as well. He has been playing on loan with Borussia Dortmund.
Vinícius, Madrid바카라s best dribbler, showed his potential from the start but struggled to establish himself as a regular starter. He had too many misses in front of the goal and fans started getting upset. But he improved considerably this season under coach Carlo Ancelotti, whose attacking line clicked with the Brazilian playing alongside Karim Benzema.
Vinícius scored 21 goals this season, more than the total in his previous three seasons with the club. He was the second-best scorer in the Spanish league with 17 goals, behind the 27 of Benzema. The Brazilian also had some key assists in the team바카라s run to the Champions League final.
Ancelotti said he already knew Vinícius had quality, but was 바카라surprised with the consistency바카라 he showed this season.
Rodrygo didn바카라t start as often as Vinícius but quickly became Ancelotti바카라s go-to player off the bench.
He scored seven goals in his last 10 matches in all competitions, including two against Manchester City to keep Madrid alive late in the second leg of the Champions League semifinals. He also scored an important goal against Chelsea in the second leg of the quarterfinals.
It wasn바카라t yet clear if Ancelotti would start with Rodrygo in Saturday바카라s final or opt to use midfielder Federico Valverde in a more defensive setup.
바카라He could start. Whenever he came off the bench he made a difference,바카라 Ancelotti said of Rodrygo. 바카라I바카라m not worried because I know what he is capable of.바카라
Rodrygo said he hoped to get as much time as possible on the field to try to help his team.
바카라The team is bit more aggressive in attack when I play,바카라 he said. 바카라I can add more speed on the flanks and in one-on-one situations. Let바카라s see what the coach decides.바카라바카라
Rodrygo and Vinícius, who will benefit from Kylian Mbappé바카라s decision not to join Madrid next season, said they have taken full advantage of the advice from the team바카라s veteran players, including fellow Brazilians Marcelo and Casemiro.
바카라They make us calmer,바카라 Rodrygo said. 바카라They바카라ve gone through these moments many times before, they바카라ve won these finals before.바카라
Marcelo and Casemiro will be among the nine Madrid players with a chance to win a fifth Champions League final on Saturday.
바카라I tell them it바카라s about enjoying the moment, enjoying the game,바카라 Casemiro said. 바카라They were very important to help us get here. They will give all they have and enjoy the moment.바카라