"I like his way of playing" - Vinicius Jr makes bold claims about Real Madrid teammate
Real Madrid attacker Vinicius Junior has waxed lyrical about his strike partner Kylian Mbappe. The 25-year-old arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu this summer on a free transfer.
Following a prolific seven-season stint at PSG - where he scored a record 256 goals and won numerous titles - the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner has arrived in the Spanish capital for a new adventure.
Mbappe scored on his Los Blancos debut in the 2-0 UEFA Super Cup win over reigning UEFA Europa League winners Atalanta in Warsaw earlier this month. Vinicius - who has started with Mbappe in all three games across competitions this season - said about the Frenchman (as per Madrid Universal):
"I like Mbappe's style. I like his way of playing, and the truth is that I'm very excited about what we can do together. He's come after scoring a lot of goals, after winning a lot of titles.
"He's come to the club he's always dreamed of being at, and every player has always dreamed of playing at, which is Real Madrid."
Mbappe is yet to score in his first two La Liga games as Los Blancos opened their title defence with a 1-1 draw at Mallorca before beating Real Valladolid 3-0 at home at the weekend.
What's next for Vinicius and Real Madrid?
Real Madrid have made a relatively slow start to their La Liga campaign but are unbeaten in two games, winning one. They next take on Las Palmas away on Thursday (August 29).
Vinicius and Co. beat their upcoming opponents 2-0 at home in the league last season in September 2023. Brahim Diaz and Joselu scored for Los Blancos at the Bernabeu either side of the break.
In the reverse fixture in January this year, Carlo Ancelotti's side won 2-1. Javier Munoz had given the hosts a 54th-minute lead, but Vinicius levelled proceedings 12 minutes later before Aurelien Tchouameni bagged the winner six minutes from time.
Los Blancos are coming off a superb 2023-24 season, winning three titles, including their second La Liga-UEFA Champions League double in three years. They lost only twice all season - both times on the road at cross-town rivals Atletico Madrid - once in the league (3-1 in September 2023) and the other in the Copa del Rey Round of 16 (4-2 in extra time in January 2024).
Since that cup defeat, Ancelotti's side are unbeaten in 29 games across competitions - including three games this season - winning 18.