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Rodrygo skill move against Elche reminds us of vintage Robinho at Real Madrid

Rodrygo is enjoying his football at the Santiago Bernabéu this season, and a beautiful set of skills against Elche on Wednesday sent us back to the days when another young Brazilian was mesmerizing the Spanish crowd.

The match was goal-scoring fiesta for the Merengues — they managed to score four goals in a league match for the first time since September while keeping a clean sheet. Marco Asensio, Luka Modrić and a Karim Benzema’s double lit up the world champion’s celebratory victory.

Los Blancos debuted their new golden world champions badge against last-place Elche in their return to league play after winning the Club World Cup final last Saturday. They’ve worn it more than any other club.

In light of the celebratory vibes at the Bernabéu, Rodrygo also gave the home fans a reason to get up from their seats without the need of a goal. 

Rodrygo skills vs. Elche

If you were a soccer fan in the mid-2000’s, watched Real Madrid and knew of Robinho, you know the young Brazilian that wore the No. 10 in the Galácticos era meant business. Especially when it came down to skill shows.

He was silky, flashy, filthy and the blueprint inspiration for the Joga Bonito type of player that Neymar Jr. inspired to be. It's trickled down to the verde e amarela’s next generation, and Rodrygo’s skills against Elche show just that.

We’ve lost count of how many times we’ve watched this.

The 21-year-old Brazilian, who's typically placed on the right-hand flank or as a center forward, started at left wing in the absence of Vinicius Jr and showed that he can be just as dangerous when breaking off his preferred foot towards the inside of the pitch — even if and when Vini is available.

Rodrygo was explosive, a threat in one-v-one and the most creative player on the pitch for Real Madrid. 

Now, while Rodrygo is still having minutes shaved off on the pitch by Federico Valverde and Marco Asensio, seeing the multifunctional attacker shine in every position he’s placed is a good sign for the player and Real Madrid ahead of a cluster of important matches across all competitions.

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