Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr, who scored both goals in their 2-1 win over Manchester City to help Spaniards enter the quarters, insists they know exactly how to raise their game in the Champions League
Vinicius Jr during Real Madrid’s dominant show against Manchester City in Manchester on Tuesday. Pic/AFP
Vinicius Junior said “everything changes” for Real Madrid in the Champions League after his double dumped out Manchester City on Tuesday to take the 15-time winners into the quarter-finals 5-1 on aggregate.
Most of the damage for Pep Guardiola’s men was inflicted last week in a 3-0 first leg defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu.
A 2-1 home defeat confirmed City’s fourth Champions League exit to Madrid in the last five seasons, including each of the past three years.
But the Spanish giants began the tie as underdogs due to their unconvincing form, that led to Xabi Alonso replacing Alvaro Arbeloa as coach in January.
“All of us players know that the good games are coming and when Madrid play in this competition, everything changes,” said Vinicius, who has twice scored in Champions League finals for Los Blancos in 2022 and 2024.
“The fans change, the players change and we’re prepared for more. That is coming soon.”
Any doubt over the outcome of the tie was killed just 20 minutes in when City captain Bernardo Silva was sent off for deflecting a Vinicius shot off the line with his arm.
The Brazilian converted from the spot and should have added many more before he rounded off the scoring deep into stoppage time after Erling Haaland levelled for Man City.
“It was a very important game for our confidence,” added Vinicius on their latest victory against Pep Guardiola’s City. “I was really disappointed not to score last week. It wasn’t to be, but I was able to score [in the second leg] and I am very happy about that. We have been growing as a team. Two superb performances against Man City. We are playing better than before,” he added.
“Since the start of the season we’ve had a lot of good games, but we haven’t controlled them as much as we controlled this tie.
“It was a very difficult match against a great team, a great coach, where they had a lot of time on the ball but we knew what to do, how to work, and take advantage of our chances.”
Madrid face a tough route to this year’s final in Budapest. They will almost certaintly renew their rivalry with Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals, with defending champions Paris Saint-Germain possibly lying in wait in the last four.
5
No. of goals scored by Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr in 12 UCL games this season
15
No. of times Real Madrid have won the Champions League — the most by any team
14
No. of goals scored by Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr in 48 games this season
5-1
Real Madrid’s aggregate score against Manchester City across two legs
Four
No. of times Real Madrid have knocked out Manchester City in last five seasons, including the last three years on the trot
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