Rodri has challenged Manchester City to prove they are the best side in Europe and show the big-game mentality to eliminate the 13-time Champions League winners Real Madrid.
City go into Friday's second leg with a 2-1 advantage they earned at the Bernabeu in February but the former Atletico Madrid midfielder has warned that Real can come back from much greater deficit, while manager Pep Guardiola is worried by his side’s habit of conceding goals in quick succession in their previous European exits.
Real have won three of the last four Champions Leagues and reclaimed the Spanish title last month but Rodri believes City, who will be without the injured Sergio Aguero, have the finer group of players.
But he admits actions speak louder than words and called upon his team-mates to justify his confidence in them as they face a team with the personality of serial champions.
Rodri said: “We need to show we can win this Champions League and not just this match. We need to show we are better than anyone and the way we know this team is the only way we can get success.
"If we pass this round, beating this kind of team is a big confidence for us.
“I think we have a better squad and if we do things well, things will be good for us. That's a general opinion of mine but words are worthless if you can't demonstrate that and prove it.
“I will say we are a side full of goals with talented players in every area of the field but it’s useless if we don’t show it on the pitch.
"We have to match them with experience and mentality in these big games. They have huge personality. They are the biggest team in this competition.”
Before the first leg, former Barcelona manager and captain Guardiola described Real as “the kings of Europe” and Rodri, who played for another of their rivals in Atletico, agreed.
“I have the same feeling,” he said. “Real Madrid are more than a team. They have that way of playing that means you can never relax. Even if you are winning 3-0, 4-0, they come back.”
Real’s European record stands in contrast to City’s, with a solitary Champions League semi-final to their name, but Rodri underlined their ambition to conquer Europe. “It is a tournament we haven’t achieved in this team,” he said. “It is our dream.”
Real manager Zinedine Zidane is set to make a late decision whether to start with Eden Hazard, who has been struggling with an ankle injury.
“We are the sort of team that wants to play against opponents when they have their best players on the field,” said Rodri. “We are aware of the dangers Hazard can bring and we are ready for him.”
Real will however be without Sergio Ramos, who is suspended after his first-leg red card, and Gareth Bale, who was not even selected in the squad to travel.
City are still without the former Atletico forward Aguero, who has undergone knee surgery. Guardiola is unsure if the Argentinian will be fit for the knockout tournament in Lisbon that follows. “Hopefully, but right now, I don’t know,” he said. “He is still in Barcelona. He is getting better.”
In a different way, City could lose Eric Garcia. The 19-year-old defender, whose deal expires next summer, has rejected an improved and extended offer and has been linked with his native Barcelona.
“He announces that he doesn’t want to extend his contract with Manchester City,” Guardiola said. “I imagine he wants to play in another place.”
A recurring theme in City’s three Champions League exits under him has been huge costly spells in games. Monaco scored two goals in nine minutes in 2017, Liverpool three in 19 in 2018 and Tottenham two in four last year.
Guardiola has talked to his players about avoiding a repeat. “We have spoken about it many times and we know it,” he said. “If we want to step forward and win this competition we have to be better in this area.
"More than conceding a goal is the way we concede a goal. If they are brilliant, we have to accept it but most of the goals, we have to avoid them.”
AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Aaron Finch, Matt Renshaw, Brendan Doggett, Michael Neser, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (captain), Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Jon Holland, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
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• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Breast cancer in men: the facts
1) Breast cancer is men is rare but can develop rapidly. It usually occurs in those over the ages of 60, but can occasionally affect younger men.
2) Symptoms can include a lump, discharge, swollen glands or a rash.
3) People with a history of cancer in the family can be more susceptible.
4) Treatments include surgery and chemotherapy but early diagnosis is the key.
5) Anyone concerned is urged to contact their doctor
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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The biog
From: Ras Al Khaimah
Age: 50
Profession: Electronic engineer, worked with Etisalat for the past 20 years
Hobbies: 'Anything that involves exploration, hunting, fishing, mountaineering, the sea, hiking, scuba diving, and adventure sports'
Favourite quote: 'Life is so simple, enjoy it'
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
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• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
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