Vinicius shines as Real Madrid edges Man City in thriller
Real Madrid defeated Manchester City 3-2 in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16. Before the start of the match, the English team's fans mocked the Royal club's player, Vinicius Junior, with a provocative display. He responded in the best possible way.
The Manchester City versus Real Madrid match once again proved to be the absolute highlight of the Champions League round. The teams from England and Spain offered the fans a true goal-scoring spectacle and, although the hosts were Manchester City, the visiting team achieved a better result and is in a stronger position for the return leg.
Before the start of the match, Manchester City fans displayed a banner featuring their player and Ballon d'Or winner, Rodri. It also included the words "Stop crying your heart out", a reference to a song by the British band Oasis, directed as a message to Real Madrid’s player, Vinicius Junior.
The Spanish midfielder of The Citizens narrowly surpassed the Brazilian in the voting for this award, although it seemed until the last moment that it would go to the Royal club's player. Vinicius reacted to their message in the best possible way.
Vinicius Junior responded to Manchester City fans
The Brazilian winger significantly contributed to his team's victory, providing an assist for Jude Bellingham’s goal in added time of the second half. Earlier, he had taken a shot that led to Brahim Diaz equalising the match with a follow-up. This performance earned him the award for the best player of the match at Etihad Stadium.
In a post-match interview, Vinicius Junior addressed the behaviour of Manchester City fans: "I saw the banner from Man City fans… and it motivated me even more. Whenever rival fans do things, it gives me more strength to play a great game," he said, as quoted by Fabrizio Romano.
