Ex Real Madrid star: "Vinicius is terrible, I feel sorry for him"

Real Madrid were beaten by Bayern in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals (1–2), and two and a half hours after the final whistle at the Santiago Bernabeu, Vinicius Junior took to Instagram with the message: “We’re alive! We have to believe!”

And of course, no matter how powerful Bayern are and despite the return leg awaiting at the Allianz Arena, Real are the last team you want to write off too early. However, for a big comeback and a place in the semi-finals, Los Blancos will need the very best version of Vinicius Junior—certainly not the one the Brazilian showed last night.

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Yes, he caused problems for the Bavarians, but he could easily be labeled the villain of the match. Vini gifted possession to the visitors, which ended up initiating the move from which Bayern took the lead in Madrid. He also had a few comical falls while trying to provoke fouls and win a penalty, and it’s fortunate he didn’t receive a yellow card that would have ruled him out of the second leg.

In the second half, he found himself one-on-one with Manuel Neuer, drifted wide, and failed to score. Disappointing for a player who, alongside Kylian Mbappe, is expected to be the most influential on the pitch. After the match, Vinicius faced sharp criticism from his well-known critic and former Real Madrid player Rafael van der Vaart. The Dutchman bluntly summed up what many would agree with.

"Vinicius is terrible. It infuriates me immensely when I see him play. I find it incredibly sad because he's a fantastic player. But as soon as he's even slightly provoked, he goes down, hoping to get a red card for the opponent. And then he gets right back up as if nothing had happened. That's what I find so sad about him."

A top-class footballer who wastes a lot of energy on things unrelated to the game. Imagine a version of Vinicius Junior without the diving, showboating, theatrics, and anger—Real would have a ruthless machine. As it stands, he too often loses himself in a whirlwind of unnecessary emotions.