Vinicius Junior addresses goalscoring slump | OneFootball

Vinicius Junior has delivered a candid assessment of his slump as his starting place at Real Madrid comes under rare scrutiny. Long a talisman at the Santiago Bernabeu, his dip has coincided with the blistering form of team-mates.

The Brazilian has one goal in 598 minutes, plus three assists, and used Instagram to say the goals would return and that he could not keep missing so many.

AS reports that Kylian Mbappe’s arrival has shifted the frontline hierarchy, with Vinicius losing some standing as the battle for minutes intensifies, and that Jose Mourinho initially split game time before leaning towards the former Paris Saint-Germain forward. Mbappe has eight goals in his first seven matches.

The shift was clear at Elche, where Vinicius was substituted in the 68th minute, a third straight early withdrawal. In the closing stages at the Martinez Valero, youngster Yan Diomande took the left wing, the position synonymous with Vinicius, and produced several of Madrid’s most dangerous attacking moments.

Mourinho later said the change was about fatigue, praising Vinicius’s defensive work within the system. The forward accepted the decision without visible frustration, and the reshuffle has given others a chance to stake a claim.

Source: Goal.com

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