when the Real Madrid received blow after blow to the face under the thunderous noise of Anfieldwhen the Liverpool He was winning 2-0 and the game showed hints of a Greek tragedy for Ancelotti’s men, Vinicius decided that the storm had to subside. With the confidence and self-esteem of those men who made Madrid huge on the continent, the young Brazilian caught the ball in the right corner of the area -his comfort zone- and in an atypical play still for him, without making use of his Blazing speed, he faced Gomez and Alexander-Arnold and landed it with precision at the long stick, just where Alisson couldn’t reach. Vinicius, in a fit of magic, suddenly eliminated the anxiety from the body of his teammates: Real Madrid, in the 21st minute, began their journey again at Anfield.
Of course, the goal raised self-esteem to the category of plethoric of an attacker who is used to trial and error, to intrinsic motivation above praise, criticism and insult. And of course, when a footballer of this caliber believes he is unstoppable, he can really become so. Meanwhile, to the rhythm of the carioca’s explosion, the terrible night of joe gomez. The changes of rhythm, the impossible dribbles and the incessant verticality of the white 20 handcuffed the English international who, although Liverpool still won, he was already living awake a nightmare that had only just begun.
As if misfortune were a synonym for their last matches against Real Madrid in the Champions League, Alisson emulated Courtois and his lousy clearance collided with the tibia of the incessant Vinicius to put the tie on the scoreboard. 2-2 and a double from the author of the only goal in the final in Paris: the demons of the past flew on the clouds of an Anfield, which, old and wise, sensed the future of the duel.
In fact, the omens were confirmed very quickly, in minute 47, when Vinicius once again beat Gómez from the baseline at the start of the second half. The desperate center-back kicked to the winger and, in that same foul, Militao’s 2-3 was born, a goal that kicked off one of Real Madrid’s best 45 minutes in Europe, and that’s big words.
Thus, in front of a temple where silence suddenly became the protagonist, with the wind in favor, Vinicius confirmed his great opera with a brilliant attendance, pipe included to Van Dijk, so that Benzema scored a goal to remember. Also, apart from the double, he already has 18 goals this season (the whites’ top scorer), and the goal pass, the Brazilian shone in one of his weak points: in decision-making. Precise in passing, calm in his fleeting offensive transitions and inspired by the beautiful association with Benzema and Modric, Vinicius’s match was a stepping stone in his fledgling career. What player will he be if he makes the hit a habit.
After the match, how could it be otherwise, the merriment, joy and words of affection towards the man of the match were a constant. “Vini has made us breathe” Courtois said; «Vinicius has had an incredible game; He is the most decisive player in world football» commented Ancelotti, a man who since he arrived for the second time on the bench at the Santiago Bernabéu always sheltered the boy, even in his most delicate moments.
In short, on the day that Amancio broke the heart of Real Madrid with his departure, another winger with plenty of talent left his mark on a match that is already part of this legendary match.