Last Updated:
Antoine Griezmann was full of praise for all three Real Madrid stars but admitted that he has a soft spot for Brazilian right-winger Rodrygo.
Not Mbappe! Antoine Griezmann Says He Has ‘Soft Spot’ For Another Real Madrid Star (Picture credit: AP)
French forward Antoine Griezmann has said that while it is very tough for him to pick his favourite between Kylian Mbappe, Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior, he has a soft spot for Rodrygo because he is an ‘intelligent’ player.
Griezmann was full of praise for all three Real Madrid stars but admitted that he has a soft spot for Brazilian right-winger Rodrygo.
In an interview with DAZN Futbol, Griezmann was asked to choose between Mbappe, Rodrygo and Vinicius.
“It’s difficult because Mbappé has been a teammate of mine. I enjoyed a lot alongside him, we won a World Cup together. Vinicius, I think he’s a very tough player in the sense that he will always dribble past you, always dangerous and that’s what I like about him,” Griezmann said.
“But I have a soft spot for Rodrygo because he seems to be a very intelligent player, very calm. It doesn’t matter where he plays, left or right or in the middle, he will always perform at 100%, and that is why he draws my attention,” Griezmann added.
Rodrygo has been an important player and a key part of Real Madrid’s success over the years. Despite often being overshadowed by the star power of Mbappe and Vinicius, Rodrygo has stepped up when required.
In the current season, the Brazilian right-winger has scored 13 goals and assisted eight times in 38 matches across leagues.
Meanwhile, Griezmann featured in Atletico Madrid’s 1-2 defeat to Real, in which Rodrygo scored besides Spanish midfielder Brahim Diaz, while Argentina forward Julian Alvarez scored once for Atletico.
He levelled for Atletico after Rodrygo sent the hosts ahead, but Diaz stroked home the winner for the record 15-time winners to delight the Santiago Bernabeu stadium on Wednesday.
Diego Simeone’s Atletico, who lost in the 2014 and 2016 finals against their bitter rivals, kept stars Vinicius and Mbappe quiet but still came up short.
Rodrygo pounced after just four minutes, slipping inside Javi Galan to collect Valverde’s teasing pass before firing home with his left foot across Jan Oblak and inside the far post.
Rodrygo’s compatriot Vinicius came close to netting Madrid’s second as he surged into the box, but Jose Gimenez blocked his shot well.
