Journal praises Vini Jr.’s new attitude: ‘Mastered the art of provocation’

Real Madrid regained the top spot in LaLiga on Sunday (19) by defeating Getafe 1-0 away from home. The winning goal was scored by Mbappé in the second half, in a match with a slow rhythm but marked by tension in the final minutes, especially after Vinicius Jr.’s entrance, which led to two expulsions on the opposing team. The way the Brazilian handled the situation and changed his attitude garnered praise in a publication by the Marca newspaper. ‘Vinicius has learned a new dribble. The move itself gave Real Madrid the three points in Getafe. The Brazilian has mastered the art of provocation and self-control in matches. Something has changed for the winger, who has started to come out victorious from provocations and wars with his opponents.’ ‘His new way of dealing with the hostility around him is paying off: he has only received one yellow card and caused three expulsions. In the last two seasons, he accumulated 28 cards,’ wrote the publication. Vinicius Junior’s entrance ignited the atmosphere of the game, with the Brazilian capturing all the attention and becoming the protagonist of the match, even without scoring. ‘Nothing has changed regarding the hostile environment that Vinicius experiences outside the Bernabéu, but what has changed is how he deals with it. The Real Madrid player seems much more focused and is dealing much better with these situations,’ said Marca. Vini had a recurring problem with yellow cards in the past seasons. The forward had several punishments, with five alone in the last two seasons. Change is reflected in the numbers The change in attitude and maturity of Vini Jr. also reflects in disciplinary numbers. This season, the forward has only received one yellow card in the 11 matches played by Real Madrid — for simulation, not for complaining. Now, more restrained and focused on the game, Vini has been avoiding conflicts and, curiously, provoking reactions that resulted in three opponent expulsions: two against Getafe and one against Villarreal. In the 24-25 season, the Real Madrid player accumulated 16 yellow cards, one red, and missed four matches due to various sanctions. In the 22-23 season, he received 16 yellow cards in all competitions. And in the 21-22 season, he received seven yellow cards. Real Madrid arrives with confidence for El Clásico against Barcelona next Sunday (26), at 12:15 PM (GMT).