Yan Diomande’s Real Madrid rise puts Vinicius Junior under pressure

Yan Diomande strengthened his claim for a regular role at Real Madrid by scoring twice after coming off the bench in Wednesday’s 4-1 Champions League win over his former club Leipzig.

The 19-year-old Ivory Coast international was introduced in the 70th minute and needed little more than 15 minutes to make a decisive impact. He first set up Kylian Mbappe in the 83rd minute before meeting a cross from Brahim Diaz under the crossbar to complete the scoring four minutes later.

Diomande now has six attacking contributions in his past four matches, comprising three goals and three assists. His latest performance followed a spectacular finish in Real Madrid’s 4-1 La Liga victory over Sevilla on 18 October, when he scored with a powerful effort into the top corner.

He has also continued to rewrite the club’s record books. Diomande became the first Real Madrid player under the age of 20 to score and provide an assist in a Liga match during the 21st century.

According to Opta, he is also the youngest substitute in Real Madrid’s history to score and assist in a Champions League match. In addition, he is the youngest African player to produce that combination in the competition since Nigeria’s Obafemi Martins did so for Inter Milan against Arsenal in September 2003.

Once criticised for a hesitant start, Diomande is now increasingly justifying the club-record transfer fee of 140 million euros, including bonuses. His performances have also begun to change the view of the Madrid-based media.

Tomas Roncero, a journalist for AS, used his latest display to warn Vinicius Junior, who has found himself increasingly overshadowed by the Ivorian.

“Vini, you know I love you a lot, but Diomande is breaking the door down,” Roncero said.

Diomande’s growing partnership with Mbappe has also attracted attention away from the pitch and been warmly received on social media, underlining how quickly he has settled into the squad.

After the match, Mbappe attempted to hand Diomande his man-of-the-match award, but the teenager politely declined. Later, the France captain added an affectionate message to an Instagram post showing him lifting Diomande after the goal.

“My good little one,” Mbappe wrote.

Their developing relationship could prove particularly useful with Sunday’s Clasico against Barcelona approaching.