Madrid’s European night ended in a 4-1 win over RB Leipzig, but Vinícius Júnior left the Bernabéu with another personal drought extending into October. Real Madrid’s Brazilian forward was taken off in the 70th minute of Wednesday’s Champions League match, his ninth consecutive appearance for the club without a goal.
Key takeaways
- Real Madrid beat RB Leipzig 4-1 in the third round of the 2026-27 Champions League.
- Vinícius Júnior was replaced first among Madrid’s players, with 25 minutes remaining and the home side 2-0 ahead.
- The 25-year-old has not scored for Real since 26 August, when he found the net against Real Sociedad.
- After the game, Vinícius posted a message of resilience: “Living every moment. Everything passes.”
- José Mourinho said he remains pleased with the Brazilian, while Kylian Mbappé urged his teammate to stay calm.
A difficult run for Madrid’s number seven
Vinícius last scored in Real Madrid’s 4-1 Liga victory over Real Sociedad on 26 August, a match in which he also supplied an assist. His creative numbers have slowed since then: he has delivered only two further assists, the most recent on 12 September.
Mourinho has consistently spoken positively about the forward in public, yet the substitutions have become a feature of recent weeks. Vinícius has been withdrawn during the second half in each of his last four starts, including the Leipzig victory.
The difficult spell also included a troubled appearance against Villarreal. Left on the bench at kick-off, he entered early in the second half and appeared to score, only for VAR to rule that he had pulled an opponent’s hair during the build-up. The goal was disallowed and Vinícius was sent off 20 minutes after coming on. He received a four-match suspension in La Liga as a consequence.
Encouragement after Leipzig victory
Speaking after Madrid’s latest continental win, Mourinho insisted that his confidence in the player has not changed. “Only he can say whether he is sad, but his coach is happy with him,” the manager said.
Mbappé, his partner in Madrid’s attack, also offered support. The Frenchman said that if Vinícius is unhappy, it is because he wants to give so much to the team and its supporters. He described the Brazilian as a major player with clear quality, adding that he needs to remain composed.
For Real Madrid, the 4-1 result maintained a perfect start to their Champions League campaign. For Vinícius, however, the next challenge is to turn the encouragement around him into the decisive contribution that has been missing since August.
