22 October 2026 7:35 am WAT
Real Madrid supporters have turned their frustration on Vinícius Júnior after the Brazilian forward endured another difficult night during the club’s 4-1 Champions League victory over RB Leipzig at the Santiago Bernabéu.
The 26-year-old was booed by sections of the home crowd after misplacing a pass intended for Jude Bellingham in the first half, with the England midfielder responding by applauding his teammate in an apparent attempt to encourage the supporters to back him.
Vinícius, who returned to the starting line-up after serving the first match of a four-game domestic suspension, struggled to make the expected impact before being substituted in the 70th minute for Yan Diomande.
The Brazilian has now gone nine consecutive appearances without scoring for Real Madrid, increasing the pressure on a player who has scored only twice for club and country this season.
Despite the crowd’s reaction, Kylian Mbappé has publicly backed his teammate, insisting that Vinícius must remain calm, take pride in his ability and work towards regaining his confidence.
Mbappé said Vinícius’ sadness showed how much he cared about the club and its supporters, adding that the Brazilian possessed the quality needed to rediscover his best form.
The French forward also helped ensure the night ended in victory for Madrid, scoring a superb goal from outside the penalty area as the Spanish giants secured their third consecutive win in the Champions League.
Bernardo Silva opened the scoring shortly before half-time, while Arda Güler extended Madrid’s lead early in the second half. Mbappé made it 3-0 before Tidiam Gomis pulled one back for Leipzig.
Diomande, who replaced Vinícius, then produced a stunning volley in the 87th minute to complete the 4-1 victory and underline his growing impact.
The contrast between Diomande’s decisive contribution and Vinícius’ struggles added to the attention surrounding the Brazilian, although one difficult performance does not erase his previous contributions to Madrid.
With El Clásico against Barcelona approaching, Mbappé’s public show of support could prove important as Vinícius seeks to regain form and silence his critics.
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