Jose Mourinho opened up on Vinicius Jr failing to score for Real Madrid in their 4-1 win against Rayo Vallecano. Los Blancos completely dominated Los Franjirrojos at the Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday, September 12.
Star forward Kylian Mbappe scored a brace while Alvaro Carreras and Jude Bellingham scored one each. However, Mourinho’s side failed to keep a clean sheet as Sergio Camello found the back of the net for the visitors.
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After the game, Mourinho was asked about Vinicius Jr failing to score but the Portuguese manager seemed relaxed. He insisted that the Brazil international is at the highest level both physically and mentally and will get goals eventually. He said, as quoted by Madrid Xtra on X:
“Vinicius? Physically he’s better than ever. He’s very strong mentally, he is at Real Madrid, plays for Brazil, the responsibility is huge. The goals will arrive.”
Even though Vinicius failed to find the back of the net against Rayo Vallecano, he contributed with one assist. He produced his third assist of the season by setting up Jude Bellingham in the 35th minute.
The Brazilian winger had the joint-most touches (10) in the opposition box and completed one dribble. He also won three tackles and six ground duels but made an error leading to Rayo Vallecano’s goal.
Vinicius Jr has scored once and provided three assists in six games across competitions this season. He has made 381 appearances for Real Madrid to date, contributing with 129 goals and 103 assists.
Pundit makes big claim about Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr
Former France international Emmanuel Petit has claimed that signing Vinicius Jr would have destroyed Arsenal. The Brazil international was heavily linked with a move to the Emirates this summer but ended up staying at Real Madrid.
Petit has claimed that regardless of Vinicius’ incredible talent, he would not have been an ideal fit for Arsenal. The ex-Chelsea and Arsenal star claimed that Mikel Arteta would have struggled to cope with the Brazilian’s ego. Petit said:
“I think Vinicius Jr is a really talented player. But in terms of his mentality, I am not sure he is a good fit. That’s just my opinion. I see so many humble players at Arsenal. So, if you all of a sudden bring in someone who is completely different, it can be a problem. Especially with Arteta’s style of management. Look at what happened between Vinicius Jr and Jose Mourinho in the last game between Real Betis and Real Madrid.”
The pundit added:
“It reminded me of what happened with Xabi Alonso last season when he didn’t want to shake his hand. Vinicius Jr receives so much stick from the fans, the press and social media but in those moments he is sending the wrong message. I think he is probably a bullet dodged for Arsenal, looking at that moment. I would have loved to see a player with the talent of Vinicius Jr play for Arsenal but with his mentality and his ego I think, it would have made for a really difficult situation to cope with.”
Vinicius is widely regarded as one of the best players in the world and is a key player for Real Madrid. He signed a new deal until 2032 at the Santiago Bernabéu this summer following a long-drawn contract saga.
Edited by Snehanjan Banerjee
