Real Madrid News
Vinicius can turn doubters into believers by following Real Madrid teammate’s redemption path
Over the past few weeks, the spotlight at Real Madrid has fallen heavily on Vinicius Jr, with the Brazilian winger becoming the target of boos from the stands at the Santiago Bernabeu.
What initially felt like an isolated reaction soon turned into a recurring theme, following him from the Champions League clash against Manchester City all the way through to Madrid’s final La Liga fixture of 2025 against Sevilla.
While the reaction towards Vinicius has dominated headlines, history shows that this is far from a new phenomenon at the Bernabeu.
The stadium has never hidden its emotions, even towards its biggest icons.
Cristiano Ronaldo experienced similar moments of discontent during his time in white, and more recently, Aurelien Tchouameni has also found himself under intense scrutiny.
Tchouameni’s redemption
Tchouameni’s journey, in particular, is a telling example of how quickly opinion can shift in Madrid.
After a difficult Spanish Super Cup final against Barcelona earlier this year, doubts began to surface about his long-term future.
At one point, rumours even suggested a possible exit at the end of last season. The criticism was loud, and patience among sections of the fanbase appeared thin.
However, the arrival of Xabi Alonso proved to be a turning point. Under him, Tchouameni’s mental strength came to the fore.
From a tactical perspective, his numbers underline why the club continue to trust him.
Tchouameni wins an impressive 96% of his duels, completes 95% of his forward passes, and boasts a remarkable 98% accuracy rate in that area.
His main limitation remains his progressive running, an area where his success rate drops to around 20%, highlighting a clear contrast with more dynamic midfield profiles.
Perhaps his finest display came in last October’s Clasico.
In that match, Tchouameni expertly managed the defensive line at the edge of the box, read danger early, intercepted key passes, and offered vital support to the defenders.
A similar performance against Sevilla followed, which has now turned his doubters into believers.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. admits finishing problem after another frustrating night vs Elche: ‘Can’t miss that much’
Vinicius Jr.’s difficult start in front of goal continued against Elche, and the Real Madrid forward did not need anyone to tell him he had missed another chance to make the difference.
The Brazilian finished the night without a goal despite having chances to get on the scoresheet, while his teammates could only watch from the bench as opportunities went begging.
Jose Mourinho had already identified the problem before kick-off, bluntly pointing to the issue facing his forward, stating, “He’s missing the goal.”
Vini offered an equally frank assessment afterwards.
Rather than hide from another frustrating evening, he accepted responsibility on social media: “The goals will come back; I can’t miss that much…”
Two chances, no finish for Vinicius
Vinicius had two particularly clear openings against Elche, but neither produced the finish Real Madrid needed from their star forward.
The first arrived when he found himself one-on-one with the opposition goalkeeper.
Instead of finding the net, Vinicius caught the ball with the tip of his foot and sent his effort wide. Arda Guler was available during the move and called for the ball, but Vini backed himself to finish the chance.
He had another opportunity after the interval, this time following an excellent pass from Guler during a quick Real Madrid transition. Again, though, Vinicius could not find the target.
His evening ended in the 68th minute, with Mourinho deciding the Brazilian was tired and turning his attention towards Sunday’s Atletico Madrid derby.
Mourinho has a bigger decision to make
The numbers show why Vinicius’ finishing has become a talking point. He managed five shots against Elche, but only one was on target and none found the net.
After seven appearances this season, the Brazilian has scored just once, which is a striking return for a player Real Madrid rely upon to provide a major share of their attacking threat.
Ultimately, though, Real Madrid found another route to victory, with Arda Guler, Kylian Mbappe and Carlos Espi providing the goals in the 3-2 comeback.
