Diomande embarrasses Vinicius and Mourinho: has he forced his way into the starting line-up?
The Portuguese coach faces a difficult decision
Yann Diomande has arrived. The 19-year-old Ivorian winger stamped his authority on the Real Madrid side, following up the fine impression he left against Elche with another eye-catching cameo against Atletico Madrid.
The Merengues were up against it after Huijsen's dismissal left them a man short, yet the young winger's introduction proved one of the brightest spots in the team during the second half.
Jose Mourinho, according to Spanish newspaper "AS", went to his bench and threw on Diomande for Vinicius the moment his side fell behind and found themselves down to ten men.
Atletico shook the Madrid net again just five minutes after the Ivorian came on. He did not let his head drop. Instead he took charge of the right flank that the number 7 had failed to exploit.
The former Leipzig man was electric. He showed blistering pace and a knack for beating his man, completing four of six dribbles with a 90% pass accuracy. He also dug in defensively, winning nine of his 12 duels across 36 minutes, a spell in which he matched the combined dribble count of Vinicius and Kylian Mbappe over the entire match, all while his side played with ten men.
Diomande's arrival triggered a break from recent routine. Vinicius came off before the hour, in the 54th minute, an unprecedented sight of late.
The Brazilian took it on the chin, shaking hands with Mourinho and the rest of the coaching staff before taking his seat on the bench.
When the final whistle blew, he headed straight down the tunnel, unlike some of his teammates, closing out another night that underlined just how far he remains from his best.
This leaves the Portuguese coach in an awkward spot. He is watching the club's record signing outshine one of the most decisive players in Real Madrid's modern history.
Complicating matters further, Diomande's late showings against Elche and Atletico Madrid suggested he feels most comfortable out on the left wing.
Once the international break is over and focus turns to Villarreal, Mourinho faces a call he cannot dodge: stick with a talisman of Vinicius's stature, or roll the dice on the new boy Diomande.
