WVincius Junior, with three assists and one goal, silenced fans who booed him again at the start of Real Madrid’s 6-1 victory over Monaco in the Champions League on Tuesday.
A section of the crowd at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium jeered almost every time the Brazilian forward touched the ball in the early stages of the league match in Madrid, but the boos died down as the game progressed and had virtually disappeared by the 63rd minute, when Vincius scored his first Champions League goal of the season.
The early boos were not as loud as on Saturday, when Madrid beat Levante 2-0 in the Spanish league. In both cases, fans jeered when Vincius’ name was announced in the starting lineup, but this time the match ended with fans siding with Vincius as he was named Man of the Match.
Vincius got into an argument with Alonso.
Vincius has had a lackluster season, with some fans seeing him as one of the reasons coach Xabi Alonso replaced him last week.
Vincius had a falling out with former Madrid and Spain great Alonso, who took over as coach after a checkered eight-month spell. The main player who did not support Alonso in the locker room was reportedly Vincius.
Vincius scored on Tuesday with a well-placed shot that heaved past several defenders and into the top corner. Instead of celebrating with the fans, he hugged his team-mates near midfield before running to the sideline to salute and hug Madrid’s new manager, Rubaro Arbeloa.
Vincius assisted Kylian Mbappu in the 26th minute and Franco Mastantuono in the 51st minute. The Brazilian also provided an assist in the 55th minute for a cross from Monaco defender Thilo Keler that led to an own goal. A banner held up by fans at the Bernabéu read: “Vini, we’re behind you.”
Mbappu scored in the fifth minute to give the hosts the lead. He hugged Vincius after scoring his second goal late in the first half, and again after the final whistle.
Mbapp and Arbeloa have recently come out in defense of Vincius, with Mbapp saying fans shouldn’t blame Vincius for his team’s struggles.
Many fans praised Vincius’ shot in the seventh minute, which went just wide of the area. When he misplayed the ball in the 40th inning, some fans started booing again, but many more applauded in response.
Mbapp appears to have apologized to Monaco fans
There was no immediate heckling of club president Florentino Prez, as there was in the game against Levante.
Mbapp appeared to apologize to Monaco fans after the goal. He was a former Monaco player. Mbapp has scored 18 goals in the Champions League for Madrid, the most by any player in his first 20 appearances for the club, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo’s 14 goals.
Jude Bellingham, who was also jeered by some fans on Saturday, scored Madrid’s sixth goal in the 80th minute.
Vincius came close to scoring again in stoppage time in the second half.
Madrid come into the match against Levante on the back of two consecutive defeats, including a loss to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia (which led to Alonso’s departure) and a humiliating defeat to Albacete in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey.
A moment of silence was held before the match in memory of the victims of Sunday’s train crash in southern Spain, which killed more than 40 people.
