Vinicius slows down

While Real Madrid faces the central massif at the end of the season, with Stamford Bridge and a little further on Pizjuán, Vinicius crosses a particular valley. The Friends dynamic and electric of the last third of 2021 has given way to a more hesitant version of the Brazilian. Just one thing: Of the 17 goals he has scored this season, only five have been in 2022. The same thing happens with the other column of basic offensive production: of his 14 assists, only five this year. Along the way, the rivals have discovered unorthodox methods to try to ‘eliminate’ him from the matches (there was the hard marking in La Cerámica) and in his last two games, the disaster of the Clásico and Vigo, he was an island.

A logical ups and downs in the search for regularity for a footballer who is barely 21 years old, but who catches Madrid at a delicate moment. The white team walked the tightrope in Vigo and Vinicius was more disconnected than usual. At half-time he was the Madrid player who had come into contact with the ball the fewest at Balaídos. That was reflected in his presence, only one shot against Dituro. Rains, it pours. Against Barça he was even more isolated because Benzema was missing and although he was the great offensive reference, he also only looked for Ter Stegen’s goal once.

It is something that has become all too common. In February and March it happened to him that he left without even rehearsing a shot from San Mamés in the Cup, nor against Real Sociedad in the League and again nothing against PSG in the magical comeback in Champions. Friends he begins, despite himself, to tiptoe through the games. He also gets lost, sometimes, in those markings at the limit of the regulation. Ancelotti is doing psychological work so that he doesn’t leave the games mentally. “Vinicius has to understand that these things happen,” the Italian said.

Keep up with Karim

For Madrid, bringing that Vinicius who destroyed defenses is almost a priority. Benzema has chained four physical problems since December and without Karim, the goal decreases. A footballer who keeps up the pace on the Frenchman’s less inspired afternoons or directly when he’s not around has become a priority for Ancelotti. Friends goes to London with a pending account with the Champions. There, in Europe, his record is six goals in 29 games but this course, the one of his explosion, he only made the double in kyiv. In the other seven games, zero. Of course, he was able to complement the goalscoring anemia with a diet of assists, including one against PSG. While the signing of Mbappé flutters almost every week for Madrid, Vinicius, who is currently the owner of the left flank, He has time to bring Vinicius from a few months ago.