Vinicius Junior had arguably been in the best form of any of Real Madrid’s forwards coming into their clash against Manchester City, reaching something like his form last season in recent months.
To the surprise of many though, he was withdrawn before the end of their first leg for Joselu Mato, something that he did not look thrilled about.
Carlo Ancelotti had warned Vinicius that he would be changed several minutes before in order to soften the blow, in a game that saw him vacate his usual role on the left side of attack for Rodrygo Goes, while he moved inside. Cadena SER have described this as a ‘first warning’ that Ancelotti may not always grant him his preferred position down the line.
They noted that while Vinicius will still be an important player, Kylian Mbappe will be the go-to star up front next season, rather than the Br azilian, something he will have to assimilate. Another question that many are asking is whether Mbappe will be granted his favoured role on the left side too.
It is one theory, with some believing that Ancelotti did not want to risk his forward being suspended for the second leg for the final five minutes, and others claiming that he was feeling the fatigue by the end of the match. It seems unlike Ancelotti to send a message to one of his stars at such an important time, for a problem that is still at least four months away.