Rodrigo already looking to Barca

Benfica striker Rodrigo Machado has admitted he is looking forward to facing Barcelona in the Champions League group stages.

The Portuguese outfit were drawn alongside the Catalan giants in Group G, in which they will also face Spartak Moscow and Celtic.

“All of us wanted to face Barcelona as they are next to Real Madrid as the best teams today,” asserted the former Real Madrid youth product in daily sports newspaper the ‘Record’. 

Rodrigo was sold to Benfica from Los Blancos in 2010 for €6m, and he has since gone on to have a successful loan with Bolton Wanderers and represent Spain at underage level.

“I have begun to score more goals than I did last year, it is a sign that I am improving. But the main goal at the end of this season is to be better than I was at start.

“The club itself will be obligated to contend as champions in Portugal and have a good run in Europe.”

The half Brazilian recently extended his contract with the club until 2019, with a €45m buy-out clause instilled in the new deal.

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