Real Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho delivers honest assessment of Vinicius Junior form

By Matt Law | 14 Sep 2026 16:46, Last updated: 14 Sep 2026 16:46

Real Madrid caput manager Jose Mourinho has admitted that Vinicius Junior is inactive abbreviated of his champion contempt providing an assistance successful the team's 4-1 occurrence implicit Rayo Vallecano past clip out.

It has been a low-key commencement to the run for Vinicius, but helium has inactive managed to travel up with 1 extremity and 3 assists for the superior giants.

Ahead of Tuesday's La Liga clash with Elche, Mourinho admitted that Vinicius is inactive "missing that top-level performance".

“The champion mentation is scoring. Obviously, assisting is important, precise important to enactment for the team, the commitment, the solidarity, the corporate work, the day-to-day effort, which is besides important, and helium does that precise well," Mourinho told reporters.

"But there’s another Vinicius, the Vinicius who eliminated Benfica past play and who, successful adjacent matches, particularly successful the 2 knockout signifier games, had 1 opportunity, 1 goal, and sealed the game. He’s missing that top-level performance, but I’m blessed with him.”

Vinicius is inactive searching for his champion signifier this season

Real Madrid are presently 2nd successful the La Liga table, 3 points down the leaders Barcelona, having won 4 and mislaid 1 of their 5 matches this term.

Los Blancos volition beryllium bidding to articulation Barcelona connected 15 points erstwhile they instrumentality connected Elche.

“I’d similar to win, I’d similar to play good and win, thing more. I anticipation that successful 3 months we are amended than we are today, but I person thing magical to accidental that successful 3 months we volition beryllium astatine an unthinkable level. In each lucifer and grooming session, the extremity is ever to improve," said Mourinho.

"The much clip a manager has to enactment with a team, the greater the chances of becoming stronger.”

Real Madrid cannot beryllium excessively reliant connected Mbappe for goals

Unsurprisingly, Kylian Mbappe leads the goalscoring charts for Real Madrid this season, having recovered the backmost of the nett connected 7 occasions successful six appearances.

Jude Bellingham has three, but different nary subordinate has scored much than erstwhile for Real Madrid successful 2026-27, and it is captious that the goals are dispersed astir this term.

Mbappe's grounds successful presumption of goals since arriving astatine Real Madrid is exceptional - 93 successful 109 matches - but it would beryllium just to accidental that the squad person been underwhelming since the Frenchman joined successful presumption of their trophy cabinet.

The extremity instrumentality would surely sacrifice immoderate idiosyncratic glory this play if it meant that the squad were successful.