Explained: Why Rodrygo broke out two Cristiano Ronaldo goal celebrations when scoring for Real Madrid against Man City in the Champions League

The Brazil international forward was on target for the Blancos in their thrilling 3-3 draw with the Premier League title holders at Santiago Bernabeu. His effort was Real’s second of the night, as the home side recovered quickly from falling behind to Bernardo Silva’s stunning early opener.

Rodrygo has history when it comes to hitting the net against City, having helped to dash their European dreams in the past, and is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Ronaldo by becoming a multiple winner of the Champions League crown.

He offered a nod to Real’s all-time leading scorer when rolling home against City, with Ronaldo’s ‘calma’ routine rolled out before then going full ‘Siuuu’ mode in front of jubilant supporters. Rodrygo has said of emulating CR7: “Celebrating like Cristiano Ronaldo? I always watch his videos, I watch him before the match too to inspire me, as I always say, he is my role model, he is my hero.”

Rodrygo never got the chance to play alongside Ronaldo, as he moved to Spain in 2019 – a year after the five-time Ballon d’Or winner had left for Juventus. He is, however, a big fan of the Portuguese superstar and will hope to have many more goals to celebrate in the coming weeks as he chases down more major honours.