“Lost his spark…” – Vinicius Jr handed brutal verdict by Spanish media despite Real Madrid win

Vinicius Junior faced harsh criticism from the Spanish media after an underwhelming display in Real Madrid's 3-2 Champions League victory over AEK Athens on Wednesday. Despite the win under manager Jose Mourinho, outlets such as ElDesmarque awarded the Brazilian forward a 2/10 rating for a lack of defensive effort and failing to complete any dribbles. Journalists and pundits, including Tomas Roncero and Jorge Valdano, argued that Vinicius has lost his spark.

The forward's struggles come amid the rise of teammate Yan Diomande, who continues to outperform him statistically. Diomande holds a 64% dribble success rate this season compared to Vinicius's 40%, with the Brazilian failing to attempt a dribble in two straight European games. Media reports suggest Diomande is now heavily favored to secure a regular starting spot at the Santiago Bernabeu.