"He no longer screams or protests!": the Madrid derby drives another nail into the coffin of the stardom of "the ghost Vinicius"
A painful loss in the derby
A press report launched an attack on Sunday against Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior, after Los Blancos' 2-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Madrid derby, in La Liga.
The newspaper "Mundo Deportivo" said Real Madrid failed to produce a performance worthy of a derby despite having the same number of players, then collapsed completely after the penalty and Dean Huijsen's sending-off at the start of the second half.
Grimaldo's penalty sealed Real Madrid's fate. They put up little resistance, stripped of everything: no play, no personality, no fighting spirit, not even players.
At the Metropolitano, the attacking trio of Vinicius, Mbappe and Bellingham went completely missing.
Cut off from the rest of the team, they could not contribute without the ball and posed no attacking threat whatsoever. Three ghosts casting their shadow over the derby with great sorrow and without any glory.
The Brazilian is no longer what he once was. Between 2021 and 2024 he dazzled everyone, establishing himself as the attacking leader of Real Madrid.
His decline has run on for many months now, and nothing remains of the rebellious, unconventional streak that once set him apart. He no longer protests, confronts his opponents or challenges rival fans.
Mourinho kept faith with the number 7 despite knowing he is still far from his best, but the justifications have begun to fade. He does not create chances. He does not press the opponent. He does not improve those around him.
The Portuguese coach had no choice but to sacrifice Vinicius (and Guler) and keep Mbappe and Bellingham on the pitch to reorganise the team after Huijsen's dismissal.
Reduced to ten men, Real Madrid became mere puppets in Atletico's hands, and the hosts were happy with the lack of resistance they met. Even the six-point gap to Barcelona is not the main problem for Real Madrid under Mourinho, who has repeated, point by point, the fundamental flaws that have plagued the team in recent years.
