Real Madrid icon Jorge Valdano has hailed Vinicius Junior for delivering a standout performance against Real Sociedad at a time when many wondered how Los Blancos would cope without Kylian Mbappe.
Valdano highlighted how the Brazilian embraced the responsibility of leading the attack and helped dispel the idea that Madrid rely too heavily on the French forward.
“Without Mbappe, Vinicius took a leap in quality… with great consistency throughout the game and a very good connection with the crowd,” said Valdano. He went further, stressing that “It’s time for that to start healing, Vinicius’ relationship with his own audience,” underlining how important it is for the Bernabeu fans to fully get behind the 25-year-old.
Vinicius responded on the pitch with a brilliant brace, taking his season tally to 10 goals and 11 assists in all competitions and confirming his status as a decisive player in big moments.
His display against Sociedad suggested that even without Mbappe on the field, Real Madrid have another genuine match-winner capable of carrying the team in crucial games.
