Potter ready for neighbours
HOSTS GOT OFF LIGHTLY IN MADRID SAYS RODRI
GRAHAM POTTER has laughed off suggestions Brighton and Crystal Palace are too far apart to be seen as real local rivals.
The teams, who meet tomorrow at the Amex, are separated by 46 miles but Brighton boss Potter says they are neighbours compared to when he managed Ostersunds in
Sweden. He said: “There was 200km between us and Sundsvall in the Norrland derby.”
It is a big game for Brighton, who have yet to win in 2020 and are four points above the drop zone. “I like what we’ve been doing but it’s about winning,” Potter said.
RODRI says Real Madrid got off lightly against Manchester City in their Champions League clash at the Bernabeu.
The City midfielder believes Pep Guardiola’s men would have inflicted further damage on the Spanish giants if the game had gone on a little longer.
And while conceding the last-16 tie is still delicately poised, Rodri backed City to finish the job at the Etihad in three weeks’ time.
“They dropped in the last 10 minutes, we detected that and if the game had lasted a little longer, we could have done more damage still,” he said.
“But given the way the game was, it is a very good result for us. We showed strength when things went badly and that’s what we have lacked this season.”
City stunned the 13-time European champions with a late comeback, Gabriel Jesus heading home to cancel out Isco’s opener and Kevin De Bruyne calmly slotting a penalty with eight minutes of normal time remaining.
And with their Premier League title defence effectively already over and the threat of a two-year Champions League ban casting a shadow, Wednesday’s stirring comeback could prove a timely shot in the arm.
Four days before their first shot at silverware in the Carabao Cup at Wembley on Sunday,
Rodri believes City finally showed the sort of steel they will need if they are to progress further.
“It was a game from which you can take a lot of conclusions,” said the midfielder. “We never let the game slip away from us and we managed to do something that we have lacked all season, which is hold on in the bad moments, have personality, demonstrate that and not lose our shape or control.”
The victory was particularly sweet for Rodri, who signed for a club-record £63million from Real’s rivals Atletico Madrid last
1914: A rugby league Challenge Cup scoring record was set when Huddersfield beat Swinton Park Rangers 119-2. Rochdale beat that with their 120-4 win over Illingworth in 2005. 1990: Northamptonshire and England cricketer Colin Milburn died at 48. 2006: Robbie Keane was made the new Republic of Ireland captain. 2007: Darren Gough was named as the captain of Yorkshire, three years after leaving summer. And he said he will be rooting for his former team-mates to complete the job they started at home and dump Liverpool out in a fortnight.
Rodri said: “I am happy for Atletico beating Liverpool 1-0. They are the only team to have done so, but they have a hard return game still.”
City will be missing the banned Benjamin Mendy and will be sweating on the fitness of Aymeric Laporte, who has already been ruled out of Sunday’s final against Aston Villa with a hamstring issue.
ON THIS DATE IN SPORTING HISTORY his home county to join Aston Villa 2-1 in the final at Essex. Wembley.
2009: A try from Brian 2015: Peter Crouch equalled O’Driscoll helped Ireland to a Alan Shearer’s Premier 14-13 win over England in League record of 46 headed the Six Nations. Ireland went goals as Stoke beat Hull. on to secure a first Grand 2016: Manchester City won Slam in 61 years. the Capital One Cup, beating 2010: Manchester United Liverpool on penalties after won the Carling Cup, beating a 1-1 draw in the final.