Real Madrid starts La Liga with a victory; Mbappé wins a penalty and converts it; Gonçalo causes a red card; Rodrygo remains on the bench the entire match.

Rodrygo, with a market value of 90 million euros, is regarded by fans and media as a player who would be immediately chased if put up for transfer, but in fact, not a single team has bid for him. Now, the Brazilian winger faces an embarrassing situation at Real Madrid, as he is not part of Alonso’s strategy, something that was made clear once more in the opening match of La Liga.

At 3 a.m. Beijing time on August 20th, in La Liga’s first round, Real Madrid hosted Osasuna. Mbappé earned and scored a penalty to secure the win; Mastantonio came on as a substitute for his Real Madrid debut; Gonçalo García, also off the bench, drew a straight red card for Bretones; Brazilian duo Vinícius started and played 78 minutes before being replaced by Gonçalo García, while Rodrygo spent the entire match on the bench without a single minute of play.

Real Madrid defeated Osasuna 1-0, with Alonso fielding a 4-3-3 formation: Díaz, Mbappé, and Vinícius formed the attacking trio, Valverde, Tchouaméni, and Güler played in midfield, Arnold, Militão, Weissen, and A. Fei made up the defense, and Courtois was in goal. The starting lineup was valued at 860 million euros, while Carvajal, Mastantonio, Gonçalo García, and Ceballos came off the bench.

Based on Alonso’s lineup in the La Liga opener, Rodrygo’s playing order at Real Madrid now ranks behind Gonçalo García and Mastantonio. Even when substituting Vinícius, Alonso chose Gonçalo García instead of Rodrygo. Rodrygo did not play at all in the first match, which may be a reflection of his awkward situation at Real Madrid this season. If he doesn’t leave, he won’t get game time, but with Real Madrid’s 100 million euro price tag and no offers from other clubs, it’s a vicious cycle.