Rodrygo reborn at Real Madrid: Benched Brazilian back delivering the goods after finally earning Xabi Alonso's trust

Ever since arriving in Madrid from Santos in 2019, Rodrygo has been something of an enigma. Despite scoring some huge goals in the Champions League and contributing to La Liga title wins, it felt as if he never truly locked down a consistent role in the team. Even in his most involved season under Ancelotti, in 2023-24, Rodrygo started just 28 league games, and only completed 90 minutes on 12 occasions. It didn't matter that he amassed 15 goal contributions in La Liga; there were always reasons for him to spend time on the sidelines.

Things came to a head during the closing weeks of last season. In the aftermath of the March international break, Rodrygo started just two of Madrid's final 10 league games, and failed to feature at all through the month of May. The most notable of those absences came in the title-deciding Clasico against Barcelona, when Ancelotti decided against calling upon the Brazilian from the bench despite his side being behind in their must-win clash.

"I see Rodrygo in good shape. He was on the bench for a technical decision," Ancelotti said of the incident. "He’s still important, and we’ll need him at the Club World Cup. He’s a special player and will play a key role."

Ancelotti, of course, wasn't around for the Club World Cup as he was moved aside to allow Alonso to take charge between the end of the domestic season and start of the tournament in the United States. Rodrygo's fortunes, however, didn't change. After starting Madrid's opening game against Al-Hilal, he only managed two subsequent substitute appearances while the likes of Gonzalo Garcia and Arda Guler forced themselves towards the top of the pecking order. By the time Madrid crashed out in the semi-finals against Paris Saint-Germain, Rodrygo was again an unused substitute.

Part of the problem, it seemed, was that Alonso couldn't quite find the right position for Rodrygo. It's a problem that Ancelotti had, too. For all of the talk of Rodrygo's versatility and talent - Jude Bellingham labelled him the 'most technically gifted player' in Madrid's squad back in February - it is clear that the Brazilian is not a natural winger. He admitted as much in 2022, revealing that he prefers to play as a second striker or No.10. 

Ancelotti stuck Rodrygo out wide for long spells, and only used him through the middle when he needed a Karim Benzema replacement while the Frenchman struggled through an injury-stricken final season in Madrid. Alonso, meanwhile, is a different kind of manager. He only uses players where they are an apparent, obvious fit for his system. Whomever plays on the right has to either hold width or cut inside. As such, there was no room for Rodrygo, who tends to operate in the right half-space and drift centrally.

And so while Rodrygo was named among the substitutes for 16 of Madrid's first 20 La Liga and Champions League games of the season, Alonso instead opted for the likes of Brahim Diaz or new signing Franco Mastantuono to perform rigid roles, which became increasingly important while Kylian Mbappe thrived while being given freedom to roam across the forward line.

In December, things changed. It started, in truth, with a stroke of luck on Rodrygo's part. Mbappe picked up an injury before Madrid's Champions League clash with Man City and wasn't risked. Alonso responded by starting Rodrygo on the right-hand side of a 4-4-2. Madrid lost 2-1, but Rodrygo found the net and was quite comfortably Los Blancos' best player on the night. He also made headlines for hugging Alonso after scoring in a clear response to reports that the manager was facing the sack after a poor run of results.

"We know there's a lot of pressure here," Rodrygo said after the game. "It's normal when things don't go your way on the field. After my goal, I went to hug Xabi to show the team's unity. I knew it was important to have that moment."

That set the tone for Rodrygo's revival. He scored again against Alaves four days later, grabbing a 76th-minute winner to secure a nervy 2-1 victory. And after dropping back to the bench for the Copa Del Rey win over lower-league Talavera in the Copa Del Rey, he returned to the line up for Madrid's 2-0 win over Sevilla in their final game before the winter break. Rodrygo played a hand in both goals, producing a wonderful cross for Jude Bellingham to head home the opener before winning the late penalty that Mbappe netted to seal the points.

On Sunday, Rodrygo grabbed another duo of assists as Madrid comprehensively smashed Real Betis, 5-1, in what was their best performance yet under Alonso. Piece it all together, and Rodrygo has returned two goals, three assists and won a penalty in his last four starts - a stark contrast to being unable to make it off the bench for months previously. 

Perhaps most importantly, though, this return to form has come without Rodrygo being at his absolute best. A fair criticism levied at the Brazilian is that he is a player of moments. His Champions League heroics against Chelsea and Man City in 2024 may be remembered fondly by Madridistas, but they existed in isolation, rather than during a series of immense performances. Rodrygo doesn't dominate as much as he floats in and out of games.

His goal against City this season was his first at club level in almost nine months, while his strike against Alaves a few days later ended an 11-month goal drought in La Liga. A lack of consistency is always what has held Rodrygo back, and looked set to be his Madrid downfall before this upturn in form.

From a tactical point of view, when Rodrygo saw the pitch previously under Alonso, it was largely as a left winger, replacing Vinicius Jr when his compatriot began to tire late in games. Now, however, he has re-established a role for himself off the right, and he is having a much larger impact on games, both in open play and from set-pieces. And so while he isn't yet back to his very best, he has shown enough, coupled with a strong goal and assist output, to continue to be trusted.

Bigger picture, the issue remains that Madrid have too many elite level attackers and not enough roles within the team for them all. Mbappe and Vinicius, despite both wanting to operate in similar areas, must start, while Jude Bellingham is also untouchable as the most advanced of Madrid's midfielders. Ancelotti's downfall largely came about because he tried and failed to also include Rodrygo in his line up, meaning he had too many attack-minded players on the pitch without the requisite midfielders behind them for his team succeed going forward or in defence. With Rodrygo back in the picture, Alonso now faces a similar dilemma.

“That’s my decision. There are so many games, and we’ll see how it goes at any given moment or depending on our needs. I won't rule anything out," he said ahead of Thursday's Supercopa de Espana semi-final against Atletico Madrid in Jeddah. 

Starting all three of Mbappe, Vinicius and Rodrygo together continues to be a risk. The trio all started in the win over Sevilla, but Los Blancos were far from convincing in victory. Mbappe was back on the sidelines for the win over Betis, which happened to be the team's best display of the whole campaign, and is set to miss the Supercopa entirely as he continues to recover from injury. That should allow Rodrygo at least a couple more opportunities, but it remains to be seen whether Alonso will return him to the bench once his forward options are all available again.

So while Rodrygo is back playing with a smile on his face, there will be those who doubt just how long this will last given the peaks and troughs of his career to date. And as he prepares to celebrate his 25th birthday on Friday, the one-time teenage wonderkid needs to find a consistent role, whether that is at Madrid or elsewhere.

He has shown over the past month that he can still contribute to Madrid's cause, meaning he should earn more opportunities through the second half of the campaign than he did during Alonso's early months in charge. But will that be enough for him to stick around? His contract will have just two more years to run at the end of the season, and with Mastantuono likely to warrant more starting opportunities as he matures, Madrid may choose to cash in on Rodrygo before it's too late.

The elephant in the room, of course, is that they may be forced into selling his compatriot Vinicius, who continues to stall on contract talks of his own following the breakdown of his relationship with Alonso. A mega-money move to Saudi Arabia is believed to be on the table should Vinicius want it this summer, and his departure would potentially pave the way for Rodrygo to earn more minutes in his more favoured position on the left.

As such, after a summer in which he looked destined to leave but opted to stay, Rodrygo is now belatedly being rewarded for his loyalty. However, these performances could yet be the precursor to the end of his Madrid career if others are convinced to take the plunge in six months' time.