Rodri has shown a surprising affinity with AstonVilla, the club that visits the CampNou next Tuesday. In the nine games that the Manchester City midfielder has played against the Birmingham team, he has scored five goals, a figure that stands out compared to the rest of his career.
The 30-year-old midfielder has 41 goals in more than 500 professional matches, including his spells at Villarreal, Atlético, Manchester City and Barça, as well as with the Spanish national team. Although his main position is that of containment and organization, his ability to find the net has been especially evident in the meetings with AstonVilla.
Of the five goals scored against the Premier League club, three were headers, including the winner in the League Cup final in March 2020 (1‑2). The rest of the games were in the Premier League, where Rodri also contributed two assists. In total, ManchesterCity have won eight of the nine games, with one draw and no defeat against AstonVilla.
In contrast, English winger AnthonyGordon, who has played 12 games against the same opponent for Everton and Newcastle, has scored just one goal, in a 3-0 win for Newcastle in the 2024-25 Premier League, and has recorded one assist. His team has won four games, lost six and tied two.
The next match, scheduled for 9:00 p.m., promises to be an interesting duel. Barcelona, although not directly mentioned in the source, faces AstonVilla in the group stage of the 2026-27 Champions League. With Rodri's experience and his scoring record against the Birmingham club, ManchesterCity are looking to consolidate their position in European competition. The result of this match could influence the group classification and determine the direction of both teams in the season.