Xabi Alonso ready to spark battle between Real Madrid duo for a single spot in the team | OneFootball

After a brief period when his future appeared to be in absolute jeopardy, Rodrygo Goes has decided to stay at Real Madrid and put an end to the endless speculation in the media.

The Brazilian star, after all, never seriously considered leaving the club and has always maintained that his priority is to stay and fight for a place under Xabi Alonso.

The minutes he received against Real Oviedo and the manager’s faith in him on the night appear to have done enough to convince him to stay, but there is another crucial aspect to the reason behind his decision that MARCA bring out.

Manager’s clear stance

As reported by the outlet, Alonso agrees that Rodrygo is better placed on the left wing which is his natural position on the field.

After all, the youngster has been playing out of position for the club for a long time now to cover the void on the right.

Vinicius and Rodrygo will fight for the left wing spot. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

This season, however, Alonso will have Rodrygo competing directly with Vinicius Jr. for the starting place on the left wing and the two Brazilians, thus, will challenge one another for the starter tag.

In previous years, fighting for a starting spot on the left would have been out of question given the impact and quality Vinicius boasted of on the flank.

His sub-par form over the past year, however, has cast serious doubts on his form.

Xabi Alonso did not hesitate in benching Vinicius in the team’s last clash and handed Rodrygo the start instead, sending a clear message that no player is guaranteed anything in his dynamics.

Needless to say, the manager will hope that making the two South American stars compete directly with each other will only enhance their performance and create a healthy rivalry.