Manchester City are notoriously difficult to play against for most sides they come face to face with.
Having won a fourth consecutive Premier League trophy at the end of their previous season, Pep Guardiola’s side ended the campaign with the highest average of possession (65.2%), passes completed (24616) and shots on target (264).
Now though, ahead of Sunday’s showdown between England and Spain in the final of the 2024 European Championship, which will see four players from City’s squad involved, one Premier League figure has highlighted how difficult it is to play against one of those four City stars.
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Conor Gallagher admits Rodri is so difficult to play against
Speaking in a recent interview ahead of the final, Gallagher said this about Rodri and what it’s like to play against him.
He said: “Obviously a world-class player, played against him a lot of times actually now, against City.
“He is always a tough player to play against. A lot of the play goes through him, so we are going to need to do our best to stop him.”
Rodri is the definition of a dominant player
Gallagher has faced off against Rodri on eight occasions and has only been on the winning side once.
With the Spaniard ending his previous league campaign with the highest combined total of tackles and interceptions in the City squad as well as the highest total of shot-creating actions (157) and goal-creating actions (23), this shows how the 28-year-old is able to be effective in attack and defence.
Bearing in mind how Ollie Watkins has also shared how important it will be for England to subdue the City star on Sunday, it’s clear that if the Three Lions want to be the one to lift the trophy, they will need to get the better of Rodri and the rest of his international teammates.
