Pep Guardiola hailed Rodris long-awaited return from injury and said Man Citys performance against Juventus showed how much they had missed him. City put in their best showing of the Club World Cup, and one of their finest performances for some time, as the Spanish midfielder made his first start since September last year in their 5-2 victory to seal top spot in Group G.
Rodri was at the heart of Citys play with and without the ball and even played longer than his manager had expected, having come off the bench in both of their previous games at the tournament in the USA.
Sooner or later Rodri had to start, explained Guardiola. I said, okay, 45 minutes but at half-time he said he wanted five to 10 minutes more. The game was under control. Club World Cup fixtures, schedule and datesSky Sports to show 215 live PL games from next seasonGot Sky? Watch Man City games LIVE on your phone📱Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW 📺In the last few games we have conceded a lot of transitions but it didnt happen this time.
Everyone knows how important Rodri is. He is one of the best players in the world. When theyre not in a team, theyre missed. Were happy he played a good 60 minutes and hopefully he can help us again a lot like has happened ever since he arrived.
Rodri won the ball back in the middle third more than any of his midfield team-mates and despite playing only an hour, completed the fourth-most final third passes of anyone in the City side. Unsurprisingly, his team-mates were similarly happy to have him back among their line-up, including Jeremy Doku, who scored Citys opener in their thumping win.
When asked about the impact of the midfielder he said: Rodri won the Ballon dOr! Having him back in the team, you can see the difference and how important he is. First game back starting against a big team, he showed his qualities and he had a lot of impact.
Im happy for him. Phil Foden, Erling Haaland, Savinho and a Pierre Kalulu own goal completed Citys fantastic five to set up a last-16 tie with Al Hilal. Bernardo Silva was not among the scorers but had a strong message both for Rodri – and Citys upcoming opponents – as they look to get their hands on a more significant share of the £774m prize pool in the USA.
I dont have to speak much about Rodri, his career speaks for itself. Everyone knows how important he is for us. Were happy that slowly hes getting back to his best level, we know it takes time with the injury he had.
But you saw here he is getting better and better, and even without being at 100 per cent he helps the team a lot. His character as well makes him a big player. Were very happy with what we did against a top team.
It was our best performance at this tournament. I dont know if its a statement win, its just three points. Were happy to be here and qualify for the last 16. Were here to win so were one step closer to that goal.
Its now kill or be killed. We have to be ready.
