"In many games he gets kicked" - Thibaut Courtois urges referees to protect Real Madrid superstar

Thibaut Courtois was left baffled by Gabriel Paulista's attempted tackle on Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior in his team's 2-0 win against Valencia on Thursday (February 2).

Vinicius doesn't shy away from pulling out his tricks against defenders. With an immaculate dribbling skill-set, he possesses the famed 'Brazilian flair' which makes him one of the toughest one-on-one opponents for any full-back in the world.

But with it comes physical battles and mistimed tackles from defenders, which can go horribly wrong on any given day. Vinicius avoided one such instance when he jumped out of the way of Paulista's tackle at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The Brazilian winger scored in the 54th minute - just two minutes after Marco Asensio's opener - to put Real Madrid into the driving seat. Vinicius beat Paulista for raw pace down the left flank to score in his 200th club appearance for Los Blancos.

Vinícius Jr. is wearing blacked-out boots after ending his 10-year partnership with Nike ⚫ https://t.co/Rdki06RvuS

Perhaps wanting to avoid similar embarrassment, or having lost his cool for a moment, Valencia's No. 5 swung his right boot at the Real Madrid forward in the 72nd minute. He avoided the tackle but got up and confronted his compatriot.

The referee showed a straight red card to the former Arsenal centre-back. After the game, Courtois said, via the club's official website:

"I don't know why he kicked him. You have to protect Vini. He is a very expressive kid on the pitch and he pulls off a lot of dribbling moves that defenders don't like.

"It's his way of playing and we need him to unbalance defences. In many games he gets kicked and today the referee had the courage to send the player off for a kick without the ball; with no rhyme or reason."

Vinicius has been fouled 69 times in La Liga this season, more than any other player.

🎙| Enrique Cerezo (Atletico Madrid president): “If Vinicius dances, I'm going to ask him to teach me how to dance samba, because I have to go to Brazil. If he wants to celebrate it, let him celebrate with respect." @RadioMARCA

Ancelotti urges Real Madrid to renew Dani Ceballos' contract

Manager Carlo Ancelotti has urged Real Madrid to hand Dani Ceballos a new contract at the club.

The Spanish midfielder has scored once and provided four assists in 20 games across competitions this season. His role in the team seems to be becoming more prominent, considering he made just 18 appearances across competitions in the entirety of the last campaign.

However, he could leave as a free agent this summer. Speaking after the win against Valencia, where Ceballos played the full 90 minutes, the Italian tactician said, via the club's official website:

😊👋🤍 El Bernabéu a tus pies, 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘰 @DaniCeballos46... ✨✨✨

#RealMadridValencia | #LaLigaSantander https://t.co/VkrldGF8ks

"He's playing very well and everyone can see that. Ceballos and the club have to work out the contract renewal. Everyone knows what I think and I think that if Ceballos carries on like this he will be very important."