Vinicius Junior (20) was born last Tuesday for the second time for the world of football. At least as a star. The first was in February 2019. At just 18 years old, his market value had then skyrocketed to 70 million (Madrid paid 45 million to Flamengo). Holder with Solari, his call with the absolute of Brazil placed him as the man of the moment, with the possibility before him of making his debut with the Canarinha only two months older than Neymar did in 2010. The possibility that he would take the witness of the PSG star was palpable.
Then, Vinicius lived a reverse process to that of Madrid. The Brazilian started twice in a row against Barça. First, in the final of the Cup lost (0-3). Right after, in the league defeat that left the team with no options for the title (0-1). In both cases, Vinicius was the most outstanding player. The next encounter in that sequence was the Round of 16 of the Champions League against Ajax. Vinicius, also a starter, was injured at 35 'and Madrid collapsed. As the chances of Vinicius making history with his debut with Brazil, scheduled for the following days, also collapsed …
That injury was a turning point for the now reborn Vinicius. Last season his football only raised doubts. The same ones that began to enter the footballer's own head, well aware of the criticism about his lack of aim for being a very active young man on social networks, where he has been frequently mocked. But even in that Vinicius seems to have changed. If in the accumulated of his first two campaigns he needed 15 shots to score a goal, this season he has cut it in half. Score every 7.5 shots. An achievement that puts you back in the showcase in the decisive section of the course and, of course, an added threat for Barça beyond what Benzema and Asensio pose and which Koeman's men did not have.
Roller coaster.
The crossing in the desert of Vinicius is demonstrated, also, in the fact that Tite stopped trusting him for the canariha. In addition to that first call frustrated by the injury, he pulled him on another occasion. And he made his debut for a few minutes in a friendly to Colombia. It was in September 2019. In a way and after the misfortune of his first call, Tite owed him it. Vinicius was already 19 years, a month and 30 days, far from any record of precocity and with its star off. Since then, four calls have been lost (Rodrygo, on the other hand, attended three of them).
With his match against Liverpool, Vinicius has been reborn for football. Again starting and with Hazard out of combat, he has between now and the end of the season to claim. The news revealed about Madrid's interest in including him in a future operation to sign Mbappé, of which his agents knew nothing, temporarily destabilized his work in Valdebebas. It was interpreted as a leak that put him away from Madrid, the team of his dreams, in the next market. Hence the celebration of his double in the Champions League against Liverpool pointing to the shield and saying “I'll stay” with his gestures … For now, the Brazilian has returned.