Real Madrid were able to put Real Sociedad aside 4-1 in their first game at the Bernabeu this season. A hat-trick from Kylian Mbappe and a goal from Vinicius Junior, including a near-perfect performance from Jude Bellingham gave Real Madrid the three points, as they now train to face Malaga on Sunday.
There were quite a few great performers on the night, and even though Vinicius Junior was technically one of them, it did not always seem like it.
In the first half, he struggled to get past his marker many times. Some of his passes into the penalty area did not really work as well as he would have wanted them to. His shots were tame, and some of his decision-making was not up to the mark.
However, the second half was much, much better from the winger. He got himself a goal and an assist, as well as a standing ovation from the entire Bernabeu – a stadium that was booing him in the first half – and it looked like fortunes had changed.
Real Madrid need consistency from Vinicius Junior
It is still worth talking about. Vinicius Junior is allowed to have bad games. Every single player – whether it is him or Cristiano Ronaldo – has had many bad games in the past. But, with Vinicius Junior, it is tough to label it as a bad game.
The last two years for Vinicius Junior have been two of the most inconsistent seasons since he became a superstar in 2021. He has shown some flashes of brilliance, and also some games where he has looked out of place.
It seems like this season, the trend is continuing. The hope was that the contract saga being over would mean he can focus on the football and stay consistent for a longer stretch. However, until now, that has not happened.
Of course, it has only been two official games, and friendly games are primarily for improving fitness levels, but Vinicius Junior is continuing that streak of inconsistency.
There is a lot of time for the player to turn his fortunes on a consistent level and be the world-beater he used to consistently be for the team, but until that happens, these uncomfortable conversations will continue.
It is for the best interest of Real Madrid and the Brazilian that the player starts playing with better consistency, but it will be tough for fans to find any solace in one-off games, because they have really high standards for Vinicius Junior, standards that he used to surpass consistently in his best years for the club.
The hope and expectation is for Vinicius Junior to eventually return to his best, and working with Mourinho is definitely going to help him with that. His performance against Real Sociedad was good, and hopefully, and that performance is a sign of things to come.
Add us as a preferred source on Google