With five defenders spread across the width of the Atletico Madrid penalty area, the pass forward had to be inch-perfect if Rodrygo was to have any hope of firing Real Madrid into the lead. Yet there was no hesitation from the Brazilian, no concern that the ball wouldn't be delivered into his path.
He trusted Aurelien Tchouameni, backed the Frenchman to deliver when required. It was the right call. With space to work in, Tchouameni delicately lifted a pass over the despairing stretch of Felipe and all that was left was for Rodrygo to finish, something the Real Madrid forward did emphatically.
The goal set Los Blancos on their way to a 2-1 victory over their city rivals and maintained the winning start to the campaign for Carlo Ancelotti's side. Tchouameni has played a key role in that, having started five of Real's six La Liga matches and replacing Casemiro – now at Manchester United – at the base of midfield.
