'Vinicius Factor' against City

If you are a specialist in something Zidane is in his ability to grant each player his right time on the field. He has been showing it in the four seasons that he has trained Madrid, three of them complete. And no one has been able to question their rotations. Now, With just over 15 days to go to play the Champions League on the return leg against City, the French coach believes that Vinicius will play a key role in the tie, either coming out as a starter or as a shooter. Your speed should stir the match. Victory is essential to pass.

The Brazilian is spending this vacation with some friends in Ibiza, where he has rented a boat seeking tranquility and the least possible contact with strangers to avoid risks with the coronavirus. He is also following to the letter all the recommendations for nutrition and physical exercise imposed by Dupont for this week of vacation granted by Zidane, aware that his most important moment of the season is yet to come in the Etihad game of August 7th (Movistar +, 9:00 p.m.). If Hazard does not arrive in perfect condition he has many more options to start. If not, you will most likely have to wait from the bench. But his name is marked in bold in Zidane's plans.

It doesn't matter that Vinicius lost his step in the last league games. There Rodrygo seemed to win the game, who found ownership in two consecutive games (Athletic and Alavés) to the detriment of Vinicius himself. But the one from Flamengo, who came to Madrid for 45 million euros, knows from the coach's own mouth that they were decisions made due to the needs of the script and that they have little to do with what will happen against City.

With this illusion Vinicius rests in the waters of the Ptiusas Islands, aware that Zidane values ​​that He is the player in the squad that has done the most good dribbles this season (69, ahead even of Hazard's 63), and that in this section he benefits greatly from Rodrygo (36), a much more combinative player. However, Rodrygo has scored 7 goals for Vinicius' five, and made them with 15 shots on goal for the 39 that Flamengo's needed … But more than his aim, Zidane has in his head his ability to overflow, in the first part if Hazard is not there or in the second if the Belgian is a starter. Not in vain, he's been the 12th player in minutes for Zidane this season, ahead even of players like Hazard (this one, due to his injuries), Isco, Lucas Vázquez or Rodrygo himself.