"He needs to know he can be taken off", "Getting way too comfortable" - Real Madrid fans rip into attacker for his 'selfish' display in 3-2 Leipzig defeat
Real Madrid fans were largely unhappy with Vincius Junior's display in their team's 3-2 UEFA Champions League group stage loss against RB Leipzig on Tuesday (October 25).
The Brazil international started down the left-hand side of Madrid's attack. Rodrygo started down the middle in Karim Benzema's absence while Marco Asensio manned the right flank.
Two quick goals from the second phase of two separate set pieces meant Leipzig were 2-0 up with 18 minutes on the clock. Vinicius created a good chance for Rodrygo in the 35th minute only for the latter's header to be saved by Janis Blaswich.
Vinicius himself pulled one back for Real Madrid just before the 45-minute mark to bring his team back into the game. However, it seems that Los Blancos fans were not pleased by what they saw from the Brazilian, especially in the second half.
Real Madrid's 20-game unbeaten run comes to an end with their first loss since May 8 ❌ https://t.co/pMgJHpBVp4
On two separate occasions - in the 64th and the 74th minute - 'Vini' chose to take on opposition defenders instead of releasing the ball early. With the scoreline at 2-1 during both situations, better decision-making could have brought Madrid back into the game.
Vinicius also lost the ball 26 times in the defeat against the Bundesliga outfit. Timo Werner scored his team's third goal in the 81st minute while Rodrygo's penalty in stoppage time was only a consolation strike.
Here are some of the best reactions from Madrid fans unhappy with Vinicius following the defeat in Germany.
What went wrong tonight? #UCL
@theMadridZone Vinicius poor decision making in the final third, if you can’t shoot, pass and stop doing childish dribbles and unnecessary touches in front of GOAL. Playing rudiger LB is an obvious mistake.
@theMadridZone Vini’s selfishness
@e1kyns @theMadridZone Our best player today but ok.
@theMadridZone Vini needs competition on the LW he's getting way too comfortable.
@theMadridZone Vinicius is depreciating. Camavinga best position is the bench, he has no creativity whatsoever. Rodrygo keeps coming back to help him create something. Carlo made a mistake with Rudiger in LB.
@theMadridZone Vini needs a real competition…he needs to know he can be taken off
@theMadridZone Vini been wasteful
Eden Hazard was one of the world's best left-wingers during his heyday but he is firmly below Vinicius in the pecking order at Madrid. The Belgium international did come on in the second half in place of Toni Kroos, but for a 14-minute cameo.
Despite tonight's subpar outing, Vinicius remains Real Madrid's first choice on the left flank. He's bagged eight goals and five assists in 17 games across competitions so far this season. To put things in perspective, Hazard has seven goals in 72 appearances across his Real Madrid career.
Real Madrid still ahead of the pack despite Leipzig defeat
The good news for manager Carlo Ancelotti is that Real Madrid are still top of the table in Group F of the Champions League.
They have 10 points from five games - one more than Leipzig and four more than third-placed Shakhtar Donetsk. This effectively means they are through to the knockout rounds of the competition.
Even a single point against the German side on Tuesday could have sealed their position as group-winners. Their next and last assignment at this stage of the competition comes on November 2 against Celtic at the Santiago Bernabeu.
It is a game they are expected to win after already dispatching the Scottish side 3-0 in Glasgow earlier this campaign.