I got curious about Rodri’s performance in Euro 2024 yesterday. Woke up thinking, “Man, that guy’s everywhere on the pitch – how do you even measure that?” Grabbed my laptop still in pajamas and started digging.
Step one was tracking down stats sources. Not easy! Opened seven different football stat sites in separate tabs. Two had errors in their data tables (like claiming Rodri took three penalties when he never did). One site mixed up his club and country stats. Almost threw my coffee mug at that point. Eventually settled on comparing three sources that seemed reliable.
- Checked his pass completion rates first – holy moly 93% average
- Then duel success stats – 68% against midfield monsters
- Got sidetracked watching his goal replays (that volley!)
The real headache came with defensive stats. Some sites called it “ball recoveries”, others “interceptions”. Took me two hours to realize they were counting the same damn thing differently. Made a spreadsheet just to normalize the numbers:
- Over 6 games: 42 tackles attempted
- Only got dribbled past twice – insane for a DM
- Found this wild stat: covered 12km per match
Lightbulb moment happened when comparing seasons. His 2024 Euros performance actually beat his City stats in key areas. Pass accuracy up 4%, aerial duels won up 15%. Screenshotted the comparison charts feeling like Sherlock Holmes.
Hit publish before dinner time with sore eyes from spreadsheet glare. Realized halfway through eating pizza that I forgot to include his yellow card stats. Too tired to care – figure folks care more about his 96th minute equalizer anyway. Next time I’ll track tournament stats before finals week!