Vinicius Junior reminded fans that form is temporary and class is permanent in Real Madrid's 3-2 defeat to Barcelona in the Supercopa de Espana final. Much was said about the winger ahead of the game in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia with many questioning whether it was time to move on from the Brazilian.
But the 25-year-old was arguably Madrid's best player and came up with a phenomenal solo goal to make it 1-1 in the first half. He drove at the Barca defense before finding the bottom corner with a tidy finish.
Vinicius was brought off in the 82nd minute for Franco Mastantuono much to the frustration of fans. But Alonso has explained why he decided to sub the Brazil international despite his impressive showing.
Alonso on Vinicius sub in Supercopa final loss
As soon as Vinicius' number went up on the electronic board, Madridistas fumed online questioning Alonso's handling of the attacker. The Spaniard had opted to take the player off many times this season and tonight seemed to be part of a tactical plan as per usual.
But that wasn't the case as Alonso revealed in his post-match press conference that the Brazilian asked to be brought off. He said (via Madrid Universal):
"Injuries aren't holding us back. Vini asked to be substituted after a great match, he had cramps."
Vinicius' goal wasn't the only impressive part of his game as he toyed with Jules Kounde on the left channel. It was the type of performance that suggested he could be back to his best for the second half of the season.
Alonso was pleased:
"Vinicius Junior put in a great performance, he was a game-changer."
Madrid's focus will now be on catching Barca in the La Liga title race, with Los Blancos sitting four points behind their El Clasico rivals after 19 games. Alonso will also need his troops to bounce back and prepare for the Champions League as they currently occupy seventh place in the standings.
Pedri makes Vinicius admission
Vinicius has a knack for scoring incredible goals particularly in finals as tonight's golazo means he is now level at the top of the club's rankings for goals and assists from a player in a final. His was the pick of the bunch and even had Pedri in awe.
The Barca midfielder admitted that the Catalans should have tried to have nullified his threat earlier. He said (via Madrid Xtra):
“Vini Jr. scored a Golazo. We should’ve stopped him a bit earlier.”
Vinicius has endured a difficult spell this season and his 18-game goal drought before tonight was a massive cause for concern. But his display suggests he is intent on returning to his very best and hopefully he's put his troubles behind him.