"Lost his spark..." - Vinicius Jr handed brutal verdict by Spanish media despite Real Madrid win

Real Madrid maintained their cleanable commencement successful the 2026-27 Champions League league signifier with a 3-2 triumph implicit AEK Athens connected Wednesday evening, but Vinicius Junior failed to instrumentality vantage of an accidental to impressment Jose Mourinho.

The Brazilian was handed a accidental to fortify his claims for a regular starting presumption ahead of his instrumentality from home suspension, but delivered different underwhelming show connected a nighttime wherever Yan Diomande continued to heighten his reputation.

Vinicius's show attracted wide disapproval successful Spain, with 1 work awarding him conscionable 2/10, portion respective salient journalists questioned whether helium deserves to stay successful Madrid's strongest starting XI.

What person the Spanish media said astir Vinicius Junior?

ElDesmarque were peculiarly scathing, awarding Vinicius conscionable 2/10 and criticising his deficiency of attacking power and antiaircraft contribution. They highlighted his nonaccomplishment to way back, the abstraction helium near down him and the information that helium completed nary of his attempted dribbles.

AS were likewise unimpressed, describing his archetypal fractional arsenic ineffective and his second-half efforts arsenic "un quiero y nary puedo" - 'trying but incapable to deliver'.

Former Real Madrid subordinate and manager Jorge Valdano felt that "La palabra aceptable nary es para un jugador como Vinicius" - 'the connection acceptable does not use to a subordinate similar Vinicius' - adding that helium had produced conscionable 1 bully attacking move.

AS lawman exertion Tomas Roncero was adjacent much direct, declaring "Vini tenía una opción para lucirse, pero nada" - Vini had an accidental to shine, but 'delivered nothing'. He subsequently questioned whether the Brazilian deserved to start, claiming that helium had "perdido la luz" - 'lost his spark'.

Cadena SER's Dani Garrido agreed that Vinicius had wasted his opportunity, portion Real Madrid analogous Javier Herraez offered a pointed examination with his rival for a starting position: "Diomande es un ejemplo, aprende de él Vini" - 'Diomande is an example, larn from him, Vini.'

Are Vinicius Jr's struggles becoming a existent interest astatine Real Madrid?

The increasing statistical spread betwixt Vinicius and Diomande makes the disapproval peculiarly hard to dismiss.

According to figures highlighted by El Pais, Vinicius has attempted 37 dribbles this season, successfully completing conscionable 15 astatine a complaint of 40%. Diomande, meanwhile, has attempted 56 and completed 36, boasting a considerably amended occurrence complaint of 64%.

Even much concerning is that Vinicius has gone 2 consecutive Champions League matches without attempting a azygous dribble, an bonzer statistic for idiosyncratic whose explosive moving and quality to bushed defenders person traditionally been his biggest strengths.

Diomande is truthful offering Mourinho an progressively convincing alternative, with AS suggesting that the summertime signing is already respective lengths up successful the conflict for a starting position.

One disappointing show would not usually endanger the presumption of a subordinate with Vinicius's achievements, but the mounting disapproval suggests that his problems are becoming a recurring contented alternatively than an isolated nonaccomplishment of form.

The Brazilian inactive possesses the prime to crook things around, but helium needs to rediscover his confidence, directness and antiaircraft committedness sooner alternatively than later.

With Diomande making a compelling lawsuit to stay successful the team, Vinicius tin nary longer trust solely connected his estimation to warrant a starting presumption astatine the Bernabeu.