"Best player in the world" - Alejandro Garnacho sends message to Real Madrid superstar after UCL heroics
Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho has hailed Real Madrid winger Vincius Jr. as the "best player in the world." This comes following Los Blancos' semi-final win over Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, May 8.
The Spanish side hosted the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday, with the first leg at the Allianz Arena tied at 2-2. The hosts dominated the game but both sides had good chances in the first half, which they failed to capitalise on. Bayern took the lead in the 68th minute through an excellent strike from Alphonso Davies from his weaker right foot.
Real Madrid then turned on the pressure and it eventually paid off. Joselu, who came off the bench, scored in the 88th minute after an abysmal error from Manuel Neuer. Joselu completed the comeback for his side in the first minute of stoppage time.
After the game, Vinicius Jr. shared some pictures on his Instagram account. Garnacho commented:
"best player in the world"
While he didn't get a goal contribution, Vinicius was sensational against Bayern on the night. He completed 7/12 dribble attempts, had five shots, made two key passes, and created one big chance.
Carlo Ancelotti on Vinicius Jr.'s performance in Real Madrid's win over Bayern
Vinicius Jr. has been the leader in attack for Real Madrid this season following Karim Benzema's departure last summer. He has been exceptional for the side over the years and has taken it to another level this campaign.
The 23-year-old has scored 21 goals and provided 11 assists in 36 games across competitions. He was excellent against Bayern, causing right-back Joshua Kimmich a lot of trouble. After the game, manager Carlo Ancelotti was asked if Vinicius is the best player in the world and he answered (via Managing Madrid):
“I don’t know. What he contributed in this semi-final can be contributed by very few. He will be the protagonist in the final, because what he did in the second leg is not something you see many times.”
Vinicius joined Real Madrid from Flamengo in 2018 and has contributed 80 goals and 75 assists in 261 games. He has won one UEFA Champions League trophy and will look to add to it this season as they face Borussia Dortmund in the final.