Players and coach of Real Madrid commented on Vinicius Junior's performance after the victory over Monaco. The forward delivered one of his best performances of the season, scoring a goal and directly contributing to three other goals. Just days before, Vinicius had been booed by Real Madrid fans during a La Liga match against Levante. The fans expressed their anger towards Vinicius and his teammate Jude Bellingham in particular, and the team in general, following a series of poor results that led to the sacking of head coach Xabi Alonso and Real Madrid's elimination from the Copa del Rey. Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham believes that fans need to show "love" for his Brazilian teammate and the rest of the team to get the best out of them. "Vinicius was very sharp, dangerous every time he touched the ball, and created a lot of chances," Bellingham said. "I think he's a player who shines when he feels loved. You could see that today when the atmosphere around him changed. I want him to be happy and focused on his game," he added. Real Madrid's new head coach Álvaro Arribas also commented on Vinicius's performance. He expressed great happiness for the Brazilian, who received a standing ovation from the Santiago Bernabéu crowd after the big win over Monaco. "I'm very happy for him because he deserves it. There's a long way to go and a huge gap, but this is Real Madrid, and we will always be the main candidate for this trophy," Arribas said of his Brazilian winger. "I want him to enjoy it and to know that I have full confidence in him to show the football he has, and he is almost obliged to unleash all the magic he has," the coach added. Arribas, who replaced Xabi Alonso on January 12th, believes Real Madrid is one of the candidates for the Champions League. "I think Real Madrid is always a candidate to win everything, wherever the competition is. He deserves to be embraced by all his teammates, and he deserves a Bernabéu salute," he said. The coach added: "I haven't told him anything else except that we need him 100%, and that he will be a very important player."
