Why Roberto De Zerbi showed Mason Greenwood clips of Vinícius Jr.

Mason Greenwood (23) hit the ground running at Olympique de Marseille, following his permanent move from Manchester United over the summer.

The Englishman, whose move to OM was the source of controversy, had netted six goals prior to Sunday’s 2-1 win over FC Nantes, however, his performances had tailed off in recent weeks. The previous weekend, during the 3-0 defeat to arch-rivals Paris Saint-Germain, Greenwood was hauled off at half time, with Roberto De Zerbi stating post-match that he expected more from his forward.

It seems as though the Italian wanted more defensively from the striker. As reported by L’Équipe, prior to this weekend’s match, De Zerbi showed Greenwood clips of Real Madrid forward Vinícius Jr., not to highlight the latter’s attacking prowess, but rather to underline the Brazilian’s commitment in defensive phases, a necessity for the best players in his position.

It was in possession that the former Manchester United forward thrived against Nantes, scoring the winning goal, his seventh of the season. Only PSG’s Bradley Barcola (8) has more.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle