Rodri's Mastery Key to Spain's Euro 2024 Hopes

Germany's hopes of triumphing at Euro 2024 on home soil hinge on overcoming Spain's midfield maestro, Rodri, in Friday's highly anticipated quarter-final clash. Since Spain's last competitive defeat to Scotland in March 2023, Rodri has played 77 matches for club and country, suffering only one loss when Manchester United defeated his Manchester City side in the FA Cup final in May.

During this remarkable run, the 28-year-old has amassed an impressive collection of silverware, including two Premier League titles, the Champions League, the FA Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, and the Club World Cup. He has also guided Spain to Nations League glory.

"In his position, he is the best - he can do everything. The quality, he reads the game, his mentality, he is always ready," said Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, who has witnessed some of the greatest midfielders in the history of the sport. "He is so good at many things...The presence, the physicality, he is complete."

Spain have been in scintillating form at Euro 2024, becoming the only team to win all four of their matches en route to the quarter-finals. Wonderkid wingers Yamine Lamal and Nico Williams have injected a direct threat into Luis de la Fuente's side, something even the legendary Spain team that won three consecutive major tournaments between 2008 and 2012 lacked.

Fabian Ruiz, Pedri, and Dani Olmo provide additional guile from midfield, while the often-criticized Alvaro Morata has moved into a share of third place for the most goals in European Championship history.

However, Rodri's all-round importance as the anchor of this Spanish side was evident in the last 16 against Georgia. Trailing to Robin Le Normand's own goal despite not facing a shot on target, Spain were beginning to show signs of frustration.

Just after the half-hour mark, Rodri took possession, paused, and issued a calming instruction to his teammates. Moments later, he arrowed a low shot into the far corner for the equalizer, which served as the catalyst for a 4-1 victory.

"Sometimes 20 or 30 seconds of saying to people 'calm down' is more productive than going on the attack," Rodri said of his message of reassurance to the team.

Despite being one of the world's leading lights in his position for several seasons, this is Rodri's first major tournament as Spain's starting six. At the 2022 World Cup, he was deployed as a center-back by Luis Enrique to accommodate an aging Sergio Busquets.

The Barcelona legend's international retirement has severed the final link to Spain's last major tournament win in 2012. Now, Rodri's generation is eager to forge their own path and become national heroes.

"Germany will be strong at home, but they will be worried about us too," said the former Atletico Madrid man of the clash in Stuttgart. "We came to win and we are not afraid. Our mentality is to go on Friday with everything we have against Germany."

Should Spain prevail, another midfield great will play his final match. Toni Kroos will retire after the tournament, and the man who spent the last decade of his club career in Spain with Real Madrid showed his respect for his opposite number in the quarter-finals.

"I think he is someone who exudes enthusiasm, who is not prone to making mistakes, even under pressure, which always gives a lot to the team," said Kroos. "On top of that, in the last one or two years, he has also scored goals, important goals."

Rodri's strike won City their first-ever Champions League in the 2023 final. Now, he aims to make his major tournament breakthrough and break German hearts along the way.

Tags: #Euro2024, #Spain, #Germany, #Rodri, #MidfieldMaestro