Carlo Ancelotti surprised by Rodrygo’s lack of goal

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has admitted Rodrygo Goes is going through a difficult challenge in front of goal at the moment.

Rodrygo has netted just one goal for the club this season across all competitions when he scored in the opening game against Athletic Bilbao.

The Brazil international has started all of Madrid’s eight games in all competitions including seven in the Spanish La Liga.

The 22-year-old was expected to blossom into one of the sources of goals for the club but his manager says his lack of goals surprises him and perhaps might need rest.

“The problem is that he hasn’t scored the goals I expected of him, but he has worked very well. He’s had a lot of wear and tear and a bit of rest can help him,” Ancelotti said during Friday’s presser.

“These are moments that strikers go through. When they don’t score they have a bit of anxiety. The best thing we can do is to keep giving him confidence.

“He gave a fantastic assist to Joselu. The goal is very important for him, but it will come at the moment when he doesn’t think about scoring.”

Last season, the Brazil international featured on 57 occasions for Real Madrid, scoring 19 goals and providing 11 assists.

Rodrygo did play through the middle at times in 2022-23, but he was mostly on the right side of a front three that included Karim Benzema in the centre and Vinicius on the left.