Real Madrid superstar equals Cristiano Ronaldo’s record

Real Madrid got themselves a 1-1 draw against Manchester City in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final tie at Santiago Bernabeu. On one hand, Los Blancos must be disappointed to only get a draw at home and it hands a bit of an advantage to Pep Guardiola’s side. But on the other hand, the opposition did dominate in certain aspects of the game.

One player whose star continues to rise amidst all this though is Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian winger has proven himself to be a big match player over time.

That was the case against Manchester City as well. Vinicius scored a stunning opener on the night. And it was cancelled out by Kevin De Bruyne’s strike in the second half, which was brilliant in its own right.

In the process of scoring, Vinicius ended up equalling one of Cristiano Ronaldo’s records as well. The Brazilian has now contributed to a goal in 11 consecutive starts in the Champions League.

Real Madrid superstar equals Ronaldo’s record

It is impressive how much Vinicius has developed over the past couple of seasons. Of course, Carlo Ancelotti deserves his fair share of credit as well, as it is under his management that we have seen the Brazilian winger’s transformation.

For years, he was a largely inconsistent winger for Real Madrid. There was no doubt about his ability. But he left a lot to be desired in front of goal and was no stranger to putting in bad performances from time to time.

Over the past two seasons, he has become one of Real Madrid’s most reliable players in front of goal. The fact that he has either scored or assisted in 11 consecutive starts in the Champions League speaks for itself. If the club are to go through to the final, they will need Vinicius to shine in the second leg against Manchester City too.