Real Madrid huffed and puffed against Barcelona on Thursday, but ultimately they were defeated by their El Clasico rivals in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final.
Los Blancos side failed to break down Xavi Hernandez’s resilient side, who produced a battling performance to secure a narrow lead going into the second leg at the Camp Nou in April. In fact, they failed to register a single shot on target, which has led to questions about Karim Benzema’s performances.
Despite their struggles, Carlo Ancelotti opted to bring on Alvaro Rodriguez rather late. The 18-year-old had a goal and assist in his last two cameos for the first team, but was given just 10 minutes to make a contribution against Barcelona.
Ancelotti explained the situation surrounding Rodriguez, who will become a first team regular next season. The Italian has stated that the youngster will play if he feels that it has been earned, as per Relevo.
“He has quality, but he’s young. If he deserves to play, he’s going to play. He’s progressing well.”
Rodriguez will hope to see more first team minutes when Real Madrid take on Real Betis in La Liga on Sunday evening (21:00 CET).
