Kylian Mbappe’s four goals in the 4-3 win over Olympiacos on Wednesday did not overshadow Vinicius Junior’s impressive performance. With two assists, the Real Madrid striker reached 27 assists for goals in the Champions League and tied Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo at the top of the competition’s historical standings. In the meeting with his former Flamengo teammate, Rodini, the Brazilian received strong praise from the right-back.
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– I have a personal friend. When he arrived at Flamengo, I was already there in 2016. I followed his entire career. But in me… on a day like this, playing with so much freedom, so much lightness, what can I say? I didn’t even touch him, but it’s not a matter of respect – he said this in a post-match interview with TNT.
-It’s so fast, it’s so hard to spot! It’s a completely different Vinicius Junior to the one I played with Flamengo. Very different. But congratulations on everything Vinny has achieved. The best player in the world. For me, it is an honor to share the field with a player who, in addition to being the best in the world, is a personal friend.
Since 2018 at Real Madrid, Vinny Júnior has already scored two Champions League titles and decisive goals in the 2022 finals, against Liverpool, and in 2024, against Borussia Dortmund – the year in which he was named the best player in the world by FIFA. Against Olympiacos, he was decisive again: in the 21st minute, he sent Mbappé a three-finger pass to equalize; In the final stage, he made a play for the Merengue’s fourth goal.
The duel also symbolizes the paths that intersect from the red and black base. On the Cypriot side, Rodini suffered from the speed and movements of Vinny Junior, and Real Madrid saw four goals scored and ended up replacing him 25 minutes after the start of the second half.