The incredible reason why Ancelotti can't take Rodrygo out at Real Madrid

Real Madrid are proving that they are not only the best team in Spain right now, but one of the best in Europe. They were Super Cup champions just a month ago, when they destroyed Barcelona in the final, while at the same time they lead the La Liga standings with a considerable advantage over the others: 5 points over Girona, 10 over Barcelona and 13 over Atlético Madrid.

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And in the Champions League they are doing even better: Los Merengues won all the matches they played this season, considering the six group stage matches against Union Berlin, Napoli and Sporting Braga and the first leg of the round of 16 against RB Leipzig. This week in Germany they took a key step towards the quarterfinals, but on Wednesday, March 6, they must secure their place there when they play the second match at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

The team's success is due to several reasons. Coach Carlo Ancelotti has had the wisdom to devise the right strategies for each match, while the players have fulfilled those plans to perfection with excellent performances. One of the most outstanding is Rodrygo Goes. The Brazilian forward has been key in several matches with his goals, dribbles and assists, forming a fearsome attacking duo alongside Vinicius Junior.

But there is another reason why Rodrygo is an irreplaceable player for the manager: his effort without the ball. Statistics show that he has run the most during Real Madrid's 7 Champions League games, with a total of 67.9 kilometers (about 42 miles) in 564 minutes. That gives an average of almost 10 kilometers per game. Thus, he surpasses Federico Valverde (60 kilometers in total), as well as being the fifth forward with the most distance covered in the entire tournament.

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His contribution is enormous

UEFA prepares a ranking with the most valuable players in the Champions League, considering goals, assists, shots on goal, correct passes and other statistics. Rodrygo Goes is third with 218 points, only surpassed by two Manchester City stars: Erling Haaland (239) and Phil Foden (226).