Vinicius Jr shines as Real Madrid thrash Monaco in UCL clash

MADRID: Vinicius Jr delivered a dazzling performance, which propelled Real Madrid to a commanding 6-1 victory over Monaco in the Champions League on Tuesday, silencing recent criticism from fans.

The Brazilian winger, who was named man of the match by UEFA, masterminded the rout with a series of beautiful dribbles, two assists, and a spectacular goal on his hand.

Mbappe opened the scoring in the fifth minute and gave Madrid a two-goal lead when he found the net again in the 26th, while Franco Mastantuono added their third goal six minutes after halftime.

Monaco defender Thilo Kehrer inadvertently turned a Vinicius cross into his own net in the 55th minute and the Brazilian crowned his man-of-the-match performance in the 63rd with an extraordinary solo goal, firing into the top corner after dribbling past three Monaco defenders inside the box.

Monaco pulled one back in the 72nd minute with a Jordan Teze strike before Jude Bellingham added to Real's tally with a strike from inside the box in the 80th.

Reflecting on their triumph, the 25-year-old expressed that the booing he had received in the Bernabeu crowd in recent weeks had affected him.

"This performance means a lot, because of everything that has been happening in recent days," Vinicius said.

"The change of coach, losing the (Spanish Super Cup) final, being knocked out of the Copa del Rey – playing for the biggest club in the world comes with high demands. Sometimes we don't understand the boos, but I know the size of the club and the weight of the shirt."

The violence reached its climax in the LaLiga game against Levante, which was on Saturday, and Vinicius was jeered all through, especially when the line up was announced. But the decisive manifestation of Tuesday, which was conducted by Vinicius, seemed to change the tide.

Vinicius promised to do his best always, regardless of whether he plays a perfect game or not in the team.

"The only thing I can do is on the pitch – to give my all. I won't always be technically perfect, but I will always give 100% for the team," Vinicius said.

Vinicius has helped Real Madrid to achieve its successes since joining the club in 2018, including twice winning the champions league.

He has scored in both the finals, once against Liverpool in 2022 and against Borussia Dortmund in 2024, which was the same year he won the FIFA The Best Award.