Real Madrid: Grading every forward from the 2020-2021 season

LW Vinicius Junior

Back to a full-time member of the left wing. Vinicius Junior first burst onto the scene in the second half of the 2018-2019 season, gaining a foothold as the lone bright spot in a woeful Real Madrid side. He had some more encouraging moments in the second half of the 2019-2020 season, including a memorable goal against Barcelona and a big second-half performance in a 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid.

Aside from a few marquee nights, namely a brace in a 3-1 win over Liverpool, Vinicius didn’t take a step forward in the 2020-2021 season. He wasn’t bad, per see, but he didn’t exactly do enough to prove to Real Madrid fans that he should be a starter at this club. Some Madridistas even wanted the club to consider a loan, but the state of the wings is so dire in Madrid that they could not afford to contemplate moving their best left winger.

Vini has all the tools. He works hard, he’s so tough to stop on the ball, he can get into the penalty area, and he can start attacks by carrying the ball into the final third. But the consistency is lacking, especially in front of goal. He has even made some terrible mistakes in his own half, such as in the Copa del Rey defeat at Alcoyano.

The negatives are all fixable. Vini has played so often for Real Madrid that it’s easy to get too down on him and forget that he’s just 20. So the minutes under his belt should be a credit to him, as opposed to a fact that is weaponized against him.

I still believe Vini will come good. Again, he had some big moments this season. But he also reminded us frequently that he is far, far from the finished product.

Rating: 5.5