1 goal, 1 assist: Real Madrid superstar remains decisive despite playing in a new role – Analysis

Real Madrid were finally able to get the full three points in the UEFA Champions League last night as they came out victorious with a 3-2 scoreline in a thrilling match against the high-flying Atalanta in Bergamo.

Three Merengue stars showed their mettle to put their UCL campaign back on track, as Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, and Vinicius Junior all got on the scoresheet.

However, it was the Brazilian who surprised the most last night, as he slotted back into the starting eleven after spending the last month on the sidelines with an injury.

Although he took full advantage of a gift that Atalanta sent his way and took an excellent shot to put Real Madrid back in the lead in the second half, Vinicius was not the sharpest player on the pitch last night, which is understandable as he is returning from a spell on the sidelines.

But it was the positioning of the Brazilian on the pitch that really surprised the spectators, as he rarely was in his preferred position on the left wing, and played more centrally last night, more as a playmaker than as a winger.

From this role, he helped the defence and the midfield escape the press when the hosts suffocated their play with relentless pressure by moving deeper on the pitch to receive the ball.

It was in one such scenario that he laid down a perfect ball for Jude Bellingham to latch on and score the team’s third goal after beating De Roon with a bit of trickery.

Thus, Vinicius ended the game with a goal and an assist and was key in helping his team win this game and remain alive in the race for one of the top eight positions in the UCL table.

But while he made the difference with these two contributions, there were clear signs of sluggishness in his play. He was not at his usual best with the ball at his feet, and his passing accuracy was also significantly lower than his expected level. Sofascore figures show that he completed only 26 of his 41 attempted passes and recorded only a 63% passing success rate.

Similarly, he lost the ball 22 times on the night and attempted only 2 dribbles, both of which were successful.

However, he was still able to put in 1 key pass and created 1 big chance, while also completing 1 of his 2 attempted long balls. Thus, this was a rather mixed performance from the Brazilian, but he was still able to make a difference for his team, which is a hallmark of a truly great player.

Hopefully, he will be in better shape by the time Real Madrid visit Rayo Vallecano on Saturday and will continue to remain decisive for his team.