○Real Madrid once again defeated Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City 2-1 (5-1 on aggregate). Following Fede Valverde’s hat-trick in the win at the Bernabeu, Vinicius Junior was the hero of the Champions League Round of 16 second leg, scoring both goals in the victory at the Etihad Stadium.
But after the match, the Brazilian star stepped out of the spotlight to praise teammate Kylian Mbapp.
Vini praises Mbapp as ‘the best player in the world’
Vigny sealed Real Madrid’s place in the Champions League quarter-finals with a perfect penalty kick in the 22nd minute and a goal in the 90th minute + 3rd minute after a pass from Aurélien Choameny. Erling Haaland scored a devastating goal for City.
This victory came on top of the fact that Bini played 80 Champions League games at just 25 years and 248 days old, surpassing the record held by Mbapp and becoming the youngest player to reach that milestone in the competition’s history.
The Frenchman returned to action minutes later after missing the past five games after leaving the field with a knee sprain. When asked about the return of “Kiki”, Vinicius answered unequivocally:
Kylian Mbapp is the best player in the world.
Mbappu has established himself as a key player for Real Madrid. During the 2025/26 season, he scored 38 goals in all competitions, including 13 in the Champions League, making him the top scorer in European competitions this season.
His relationship and chemistry with Vini on the field is evident in every play, in the way they support each other in front of the media, and in their efforts to achieve common goals.
The match MVP further explained about the preparations for this match, “We have had a series of good games since the start of the season, but we have never been as controlled as we were in this round. It was a very difficult game against a great team and a great coach. They had a lot of possession and even though we missed some chances, we knew we had to work hard and take advantage of our chances.”
Meanwhile, while waiting for the opponents, the Champions League quarter-finals for the 2025-26 season will be held on April 7/8 and 14/15, the semi-finals will be held on April 28/29 and May 5/6, and the final will be held on May 30.
Real Madrid upcoming matches
Real Madrid vs Atlético Madrid | March 22 Mallorca vs Real Madrid | April 4 Real Madrid vs (opponents to be determined) | April 7 | Champions League, first leg Real Madrid vs Girona April 12 (rivals to be determined) vs. Real Madrid | April 14 | Champions League, second leg
