Xabi Alonso’s decision to bench Real Madrid superstar no longer only an experiment | OneFootball

When Xabi Alonso benched Vinicius Jr. ahead of Real Madrid’s second league game against Real Oviedo, it felt like a routine rotation from the new coach.

Many expected that Vinicius was merely rested against a newly-promoted side so that the likes of Franco Mastantuono and Rodrygo Goes can get some more game-time.

However, in the recent game against Marseille, Xabi Alonso showed that he is not afraid to bench Vinicius at all, as the Brazilian was a notable exclusion from the starting eleven against Marseille.

Instead of Vini, the Real Madrid coach opted for Mastantuono and Rodrygo as Kylian Mbappe’s partner in attack.

In fact, Vinicius had to feature as a substitute for his compatriot Rodrygo around the hour mark.

Alonso not afraid to bench Vinicius

As reported by Mundo Deportivo, the Vinicius case against Real Oviedo was not a one-off, as evidenced by Alonso’s squad selection against Marseille on Tuesday.

Vinicius is losing his stardom at Real Madrid. (Photo by Mateo Villalba Sanchez/Getty Images)

The report, in fact, suggests that the Real Madrid coach has no favourites when it comes to picking a starting eleven, apart from one or two exception such as Kylian Mbappe.

Vinicius, though, does not find himself in the list of exceptions, which means the Brazilian will have to earn every start.

With Guler showing his real potential under Alonso and Mastantuono and Rodrygo also pushing for starts, the competition has heated up for Vinicius, who has gone from being an undisputed starter under Carlo Ancelotti to a mere squad player

Although Alonso has confirmed he counts on Vinicius’ services, he does not want any player to take his spot for granted.

This is signficant given the recent talks of Real Madrid reaching an impasse with the Brazilian when it comes to contract negotiations. There have also been reports of the forward feeling dissatisfied with the new coach.

Keeping that in mind, it will be interesting to see how Vinicius responds and whether or not he can re-establish himself as a surefire starter under Alonso in the coming months.