Vinícius Junior is going through a tough time at Real Madrid. Since the October international break, the Brazilian has not scored any goals, managing only three assists. A drop in form led to whistles from the fans during the match against Manchester City (1-2), where three poor decisions could have created dangerous moments if they had been successful. This is Vinícius's eighth season at the royal club, and he is far from his peak performance, which he showed in previous seasons and for which he was close to winning the Ballon d'Or a little over a year ago. The arrival of Xabi Alonso to the managerial position changed the dynamics. Absolute freedom for Mbappé and unexpected benchings for Vinícius, who eventually exploded after being substituted in the clásico. The Spanish coach has established his authority since the start of the current season. 'I'd better leave,' he said, according to Movistar+, when he saw his number on the substitution board and headed straight to the dressing room, not sitting on the bench with his teammates for several minutes. This situation raised alarms about Vinícius's situation and his potential contract renewal with Real Madrid, whose contract expires on June 30, 2027, and also changed his day-to-day life. After showing his anger over the substitution, he was a starter in the next three matches until the November break. After that, he was benched again after playing two full matches for Brazil. In total, he played four full matches and one in which he left the field in the 78th minute with a score of 0-3 at San Mamés. Stability in the starting lineup, however, Vinícius is not finding regularity in front of goal. 12 matches without scoring for Real Madrid, 924 minutes of play since his double against Villarreal on October 4. Against Manchester City, where the Frenchman (Mbappé) was out due to left knee discomfort, Real Madrid only had one shot on target, in which Rodrygo scored, breaking his streak of 32 matches and 1,432 minutes without scoring. Vinícius is still far from these numbers, having accumulated 924 minutes without scoring for Real Madrid. The Spanish coach chose him in the first round of substitutions (after the mandatory change for Fede Valverde due to injury), as he had done previously in five other matches of the season, and 'Vini' showed his anger. 'You can't be serious.' He returned to the starting lineup a week later and scored. One against Juventus and two against Olympiacos. The team has also felt the scoring drought. 41 shots (seven against Girona or six against Olympiacos) in 12 matches and no goals that immerse the Brazilian in a bad patch of form that joins the team's, with only two wins in the last eight matches. However, in the first Champions League match of the season, Vinícius was again on the bench. A strained relationship between Xabi Alonso and Vinícius that exploded in the clásico. Still, the Brazilian came out motivated and in 27 minutes he scored a goal and provided an assist. Even so, his five goals make him the team's second top scorer, 20 behind an untouchable Kylian Mbappé. 'I'm leaving the team.' After the Club World Cup, where Vinícius started all matches (six, with one goal and one assist), although he played 80 or more minutes in only half of them, the 2024-2025 season changed 'Vini's' status. Second match of the season, without a midweek game, and Xabi Alonso surprised: Vinícius on the bench. Brazilian Vinícius Junior is far from his best level. It's not possible. Without Mbappé, offensive production is limited. 'Me? Me?'
