Located 200 miles north of Manchester, Spain's Rodri is prepared to rekindle his rivalry with Scott McTominay in an effort to stop Scotland's big-game stars from succeeding at Hampden.
Rodri, a stalwart for City under Pep Guardiola, frequently spars with the English Premier League players in Steve Clarke's team but acknowledged their ability ahead of Tuesday's Euro 2024 qualifier.
The 26-year-old has directly faced United teammate McTominay in derbies over the past few seasons and is aware that the Scot will be feeling good after scoring two goals in overtime to help Scotland defeat Cyprus 3-0 on Saturday.
Spain defeated Norway by the same score to win its first game as a nation under new national coach Luis de la Fuente, Rodri is adamant they must now produce a peak performance to take command of Group A in Glasgow.
Another one of his midfield sparring companions from the club game is John McGinn of Aston Villa, who scored Scotland's first goal over the weekend.
"I know them very well, of course,’ said Rodri. ‘They are talented players with a lot of physicality to go box to box."
"I think they are of massive importance to the national team and, of course, they have experience of playing big games in the Premier League — against us, for example."
‘With Scott, it’s a big rivalry, of course, in the Manchester derby."
"They are good players, as we have also. We don’t focus too much on individual players, more on the things they do collectively."
"We also try and focus on ourselves to produce a good performance against one of the best teams in the group."
"This is going to be an important game. If we can win, we’ll have taken six points from the two best teams in the group — Scotland and Norway — so it’s going to be a very tough game."
Rodri, a strong presence in the holding midfield position, anticipates Clarke's lineup to be a blend of fire and finesse.
When asked to compare the difficulty Norway posed in Malaga, he responded:"Scotland is a different team to Norway. But Norway have some very good weapons in the sense of being able to counter-attack."
"Scotland, I think, is going to be the same in that regard. They have quality players who try to play. Also, when you think of Scotland, you think of set-pieces, long balls and second balls because they are always dangerous in those situations."
"But, of course, they also build up play. They have a keeper who can play out. We’re aware of those things and I know we have to put together a very complete game tomorrow."
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