Rodrigo’s last outing for his country came back in November 2021 but the striker netted 15 goals for Leeds during the 2022-23 season despite United’s relegation and was rewarded with a place in boss Luis de la Fuente’s Spain squad for this month’s Nations League clashes.
The Whites attacker came straight back into the starting line up for Thursday evening’s semi-final against Italy for whom fellow Whites ace Gnonto was named on boss Roberto Mancini’s bench. Rodrigo lined up on the right side of a front three that also featured Yeremy Pino on the left and Alvaro Morata upfront, supported by Gavi in the no 10 role but Rodrigo lost possession after just 13 seconds as loose control on the touchline gave Italy a throw.
The striker held up his hand to apologise but Spain immediately regained the ball and worked it to Rodrigo who wriggled around to work an opening in the box before firing in a low shot that was blocked.
Spain were pressing Italy’s backline hard and those tactics led to de la Fuente’s side taking the lead in just the fourth minute as Yeremy pressurised Leonardo Bonucci into losing possession which proved costly as Yeremy was left in on goal and he duly applied a neat finish into the bottom right.
Italy looked to immediately respond and Rodrigo helped Spain’s cause at the opposite end of the pitch with three clearances in quick succession including one with neat control and a calm pass out of defence. Moments later, Spain were back on the attack themselves but another loose touch let Rodrigo down and ended a counter upon being fed the ball running through the middle.
But Italy were then awarded a penalty as Nicolo Zaniolo’s fierce strike hit Robin Le Normand’s outstretched arm and Ciro Immobile sent Unai Simon the wrong way with his spot kick to draw the Azzurri level.
Rodrigo was soon back in the thick of it riding a couple of challenges at the other end whilst continuing to drop into a deeper role when Italy pushed on. In a case of deja vu, Rodrigo again lost the ball as Spain looked to counter once more through the middle as part of a helter-skelter opening to a game played at a frenetic pace.
But the Whites man was seeing plenty of the ball and also regularly making runs beyond the back line off the ball in a bid to be picked out by a pass. The Leeds striker then fired in his second shot of the evening in the 20th minute as he cut in from the right but Rodrigo snatched the chance and dragged his effort well wide.
Italy then looked to have gone ahead from their next attack as a wonderful through ball from Jorginho picked out Davide Frattesi who applied a clinical finish upon being played clean through but the Sassuolo striker was fractionally offside.
For Rodrigo, more good defensive work followed as he tracked back to win a tackle that set the platform for another attack in which a cross of his was cleared. A fine-first-time pass on the volley then found Morata who narrowly failed to play in the Whites attacker as he looked to nip around the back of the Italy defence.
As part of a real mixed bag display, Rodrigo then slipped and gave away a free-kick by falling on to the ball and handling it in his bid to win a Luke Ayling flop style free-kick. A wry smile greeted the decision to award the free-kick to Italy but the Whites man put in another good contribution moments later by again getting back to win another tackle to set Spain away once more.
A possible chance for Rodrigo went begging a couple of minutes later as a brilliant cross from Jordi Alba flew through the area with Rodrigo and Morata in close proximity but neither made the right run to get near.
Spain kept the ball for several minutes as the first half drew to a close, by which point Rodrigo had swapped positions with Morata, the Leeds man playing centre forward as Morata moved out to the right from where he saw a low shot saved.
A few more neat touches then followed for Rodrigo as the first half ended all square, a half featuring an energetic display from United’s top scorer from last season,. Yet Rodrigo was then taken off during the interval as boss Luis de la Fuente made one change to his side in introducing Marco Asensio for the Whites attacker who then looked on as Spain went on to bag a last-gasp 2-1 victory.
Former Stoke City striker Joselu came off the bench to net an 87th-minute winner for Spain who will now face Croatia in Sunday night’s final in Rotterdam after Italy take on the Netherlands in the afternoon’s third-place play-off. Gnonto, meanwhile, was an unused substitute for Italy.
