Vinicius Junior’s Real Madrid starting place under threat after AEK Athens performance

Vinicius Junior’s difficult spell continued as the Real Madrid forward faced renewed criticism following their 3-2 Champions League victory over AEK Athens in Greece.

The Brazil winger started after being given an opportunity by manager Jose Mourinho, having been suspended for Real Madrid’s past four La Liga matches. However, he was unable to make a significant impact as Real Madrid recovered from 2-1 down with 15 minutes remaining to claim a dramatic win.

Vinicius operated on the left, with Yan Diomande moved to the right. But the former Flamengo player failed to produce the performance required to strengthen his claim for a regular starting position.

Diomande has impressed in recent matches in the left-wing role, leaving Vinicius with a clear opportunity to respond in Athens. Unlike several of his team-mates, he had also benefited from a period of rest after missing Real Madrid’s recent league games.

Instead, Vinicius struggled to create danger and lacked precision when attempting to take on opponents. His display has intensified questions in Spain over whether Real Madrid are currently a stronger side without him.

Spanish criticism intensifies

Spanish newspaper AS described Vinicius’ first-half performance as “appalling”, adding that he tried harder after the break but was unsuccessful. The report said Diomande was now “ahead of him by a wide margin” in the starting XI.

Former Real Madrid player Jorge Valdano, usually measured in his television analysis, was also highly critical of Vinicius during a programme on Movistar.

“Acceptable is not a word that applies to a player like Vinicius,” Valdano said. “He put in very little effort and rarely succeeded.”

He added: “He made only one good move. We remember very little of his game tonight; for a player who maintained such an exceptional level for such a long time, this is far too little.

“This flat performance from Vinicius will not help him recover the position that Diomande has secured.”

Vinicius will be unavailable for Real Madrid’s La Liga fixture against Valencia on 07 November 2026 because of his suspension. Real Madrid are also listed to face AEK Athens in the Greek Super League on 08 November 2026, while Levadiakos is listed in the same fixture information.

Although criticism has focused heavily on Vinicius, Marca warned that blaming him for all of Real Madrid’s problems would be too simplistic. However, it said it was “not a coincidence” that Mourinho’s team had performed at a lower level when the Brazilian was on the pitch.

The newspaper also highlighted what it considered a lack of defensive commitment from the forward.

Vinicius now appears to be experiencing a difficult decline in form, and his return from suspension could present another challenge. Rather than immediately reclaiming his place, he is increasingly likely to begin on the bench.