Vinícius goes missing in the derby and is under fire again at Real Madrid | OneFootball

The Brazilian failed to make a difference and was one of Real Madrid’s biggest absentees against Atlético

Real Madrid suffered a heavy defeat against Atlético de Madrid at the Metropolitano, but one of the main talking points once again centered on Vinícius Júnior. The Brazilian went into the derby as one of José Mourinho’s main attacking weapons, although he ended up delivering a performance far below expectations.

In a match of the highest intensity, Vinícius was unable to find space or produce the kind of imbalance that usually makes him such a decisive player. Atlético managed to limit his influence and, as the minutes passed, the forward became less and less involved.

Vinícius unable to change the game

Real Madrid needed its biggest stars to step up when the match started to become complicated. However, Vinícius, Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham were left almost completely disconnected from the rest of the team.

The Brazilian could not find a way past Atlético’s defense, nor was he able to become a consistent source of danger. His attacking involvement kept fading until he was practically removed from the flow of the game.

Dean Huijsen’s red card in the second half completely changed the scenario, but even then the Vinícius capable of lifting the team in the toughest moments never appeared.

The Brazilian is back under the spotlight

The display at the Metropolitano comes at a time when the Brazilian needs to establish himself as one of the attacking leaders of Madrid’s new project.

Mourinho needs to get the best version back from his main attackers and, especially, to make sure that players like Vinícius are capable of making a difference even when the collective performance is not there.

The derby, however, left a different conclusion: when Atlético took control, Real Madrid did not find in its Brazilian star the response it needed.

Madrid needs to get its great game-changer back

The problem for Mourinho is not limited to just one poor night from Vinícius. Los Blancos showed collective difficulties throughout the match, especially after going down to ten men.

But for a team aiming to compete for every title, performances like the Brazilian’s carry particular weight. Vinícius is one of the players expected to decide the biggest matches, and the derby against Atlético was precisely one of those occasions.

Real Madrid must now respond quickly. The season is only just beginning, but the defeat at the Metropolitano once again puts Vinícius under the spotlight and leaves an open question: when will his best version show up again in the matches that demand the most from him?

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.