On paper, Real Madrid’s attack looks frightening.
With names like Kylian Mbappe, Rodrygo, Franco Mastantuono and Gonzalo Garcia alongside Vinicius Jr., there should be no shortage of firepower at the Santiago Bernabeu.
But football is not played on paper. And right now, when Real Madrid need clarity in the final third, it is Vinicius who is carrying the burden almost alone.
The numbers paint a telling picture, as the last three goals scored by Los Blancos — in the 4-1 clash against Real Sociedad, the 1-0 win over Benfica and the 1-2 defeat to Osasuna, all came from the Real Madrid number 7.
There is more to it
Even more revealing is his shot involvement. Across the matches against Benfica and Osasuna, Madrid attempted 33 shots in total. As such, a whopping 11 of those came from Vinicius.
That represents one-third of the team’s attempts, which is double his usual share. Previously, he averaged around 16% of the team’s shots per game.
And it is not just about shooting. Vinicius, whose contract renewal is still the talk of the town, makes things happen every time he is on the ball.
Vinicius Jr. is making it happen. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
Against Osasuna, he repeatedly targeted his marker, turning the duel into a personal battle.
On two separate occasions, he beat his competitor cleanly and delivered dangerous balls into the heart of the penalty area. The problem? There was no teammate ready to finish the move.
That lack of presence in decisive moments has left Madrid blunt in attack. When creativity dries up, the natural instinct is to look for Vinicius and hope he produces something special.
It has become the easiest and most logical outlet.
As the game demanded more urgency, even tactical adjustments struggled to create solutions.
Eventually, it was Vinicius himself who stepped inside like a central striker and forced the equaliser.