Santi Rodríguez bounces back and proves his worth at Botafogo | OneFootball

Botafogo's 4-1 thrashing of Red Bull Bragantino featured spectacular goals, but the magic that enchanted Nilton Santos came from the feet of a particular player: Santiago Rodríguez.

In his best and most complete performance with the black-and-white jersey, the Uruguayan showcased his repertoire of dribbles, including nutmegs, sombreros, and cow dribbles, provided an assist and was the maestro of Botafogo's big win, rightfully being named the best on the field.

It was the night when the Uruguayan, in his own words, felt he did "almost everything right", in a performance that finally justified the high investment made by the club. The player himself admitted that the first months in Rio de Janeiro were about adaptation, feeling the physical and rhythm difference of Brazilian football.

“In the first few months I felt this change of league, I felt this physical change a lot and today I believe I did almost everything right. We have to continue like this with this mentality and this path," the player confessed to Botafogo TV.

The explanation for the gala night lies in the regained confidence, something he credits to the support of the squad. “Now I feel good, just as I felt last year when Botafogo brought me in. My teammates are helping me a lot, the foreigners are united and that helps. Alex Telles too, it's very important to feel the backing of the Brazilians.”

On the gala night, the number 7 just couldn't find the back of the net. But, for him, the most important thing was the team's victory and the chance to play for longer, regaining match rhythm.

“The only thing missing was a goal. I would like to score a goal, but what matters most to me is that the team wins,” Santi emphasized. “Today I played 80 minutes, what I wanted most was to gain confidence, to feel good about myself. The goal was missing, but I am very happy with my performance and because we won.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.