Highlights of Rodri’s performance went viral, revealing why he was substituted off after being substituted on during Manchester City’s shocking 4-3 loss to Al-Hilal. Pep Guardiola’s team was anticipating a simple Round of 16 matchup with their Saudi Arabian opponents on Monday night after completing a faultless group stage and earning the most prize money in the Club World Cup thus far.
Rather, it was far from simple. Watch the highlights below to see how Ederson’s mistakes and Al-Hilal’s tenacity combined to defeat the Cityzens despite having 30 shots, 69 percent possession, and goals from Bernardo Silva, Erling Haaland, and Phil Foden. For a team that went trophyless for the first time since the 2016–17 season, it meant yet another early exit and another disappointing conclusion to the competition.
Although City’s demise was sealed by Marcos Leonardo’s goal in the 112th minute, Rodri’s substitution at Orlando’s Camping World Stadium, just 47 minutes after entering the game, was another frightening sight for fans. There are mounting worries that the 2023 Ballon d’Or winner, who was just making his fifth appearance following recovering from a major knee injury, may have suffered a further setback.
During Al-Hilal 4-3, Rodri suffered yet another injury setback. Pep Guardiola of Man City has responded to the issues.
Tijjani Reijnders of Feyenoord was signed by the recruitment staff to provide sufficient insurance after Rodri’s knee injury played a crucial factor in Man City’s trophyless season the previous year.
Guardiola has acknowledged that Rodri, one of the best players in the world right now, has suffered yet another potential setback in his recuperation. Despite this, nobody in the City camp would have anticipated the Dutchman would actually be needed as cover.
Guardiola claimed the Spanish midfielder had an injury that forced him off the pitch in the hundredth minute after entering as a 53-minute substitute. According to the Guardian, the manager stated (see his highlights below):
“Rodri grumbled about his circumstances.”
Pep Guardiola Looks At Positives From Club World Cup
The Cityzens will now have a longer recovery period than they initially expected
Guardiola preferred to highlight his team’s success in the Club World Cup rather than go into further detail on Rodri’s condition. “It is only here every four years, and we would have loved to have continued,” he stated. “We thought the team was performing well, but now that we are home, it is time to take a mental and physical break in preparation for the upcoming season.”
The Catalan was then questioned about whether he thought City might make another run next season. “It’s too soon to tell,” Guardiola said.
However, there have been a lot of positive things that I haven’t seen in the [recent] past. I thought we were content here because of the relationships between the players, our captain Silva’s assistance, and the standards set by our staff. The periods of training have been excellent.
But there is a lot of talent in Al-Hilal. They can run and run because they are a whole team. Even though I have strong feelings for them, we [still] had a fun game. After spent the previous two years demonstrating their value as a financial force in football, the Saudi Arabian team’s goal to match the rest of Europe in terms of quality was undoubtedly validated by the outcome.
After initially fearing the consequences of a packed fixture schedule, Man City will now take advantage of an extended summer when they take on Fluminense in the quarterfinal on Friday night.
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