Vinicius Jr rallies Real Madrid ahead of Man City clash

International football

·

09/03/2026

ADVERTISEMENT

Vinicius Jr. has charged his Real Madrid teammates to be ready for the tough challenge against Manchester City, as this presents an opportunity to redeem their season.

Madrid are faltering in their title charge in Spain and have a herculean task in the UEFA Champions League with City ahead of them. Their fans are on edge and constantly boo them in matches, and these actions get to them.

Vinicius has now taken the opportunity to charge his teammates to use the Man City match to redeem their season.

“We need our best version in the round of 16 against a very difficult opponent like Manchester City, but we are playing at home, in front of our fans, with the support of everyone. We need a lot from them in a season in which we have had difficult games, but we also have to bring out our best version on the pitch.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Real Madrid are aiming to win the competition for the 16th time in their history but are underdogs for the upcoming tie. This is even more glaring when you consider the fact that Man City won their league phase clash at the Bernabeu earlier this season.

Vinicius is also the team’s only major attacker thanks to injuries to Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham. Both players will also miss Wednesday’s match, which means the team’s hopes for the match will fall on the Brazilian’s shoulders.

Meanwhile, Man City could be without Erling Haaland for the tie, following the Norwegian’s latest omission from their matchday squad at the weekend and against Leeds United.

"I didn't think to let him play, and I prefer him training to [clicks fingers] make a rhythm," said Guardiola after the 3-1 win over Newcastle that books City's place in the FA Cup quarter-finals. "After injury when he drops, he always struggles to have that real pace."

ADVERTISEMENT

As both teams rally to put their best foot forward for the upcoming tie, a Real Madrid legend has gone ahead to criticise Alvaro Arbeloa’s appointment.

“It didn’t make sense to sack Xabi Alonso,” Ivan Helguera said. “If you sack Xabi Alonso, you have to have an experienced coach in the dressing room to deal with all this. Right off the bat you get a kid who has never coached in the First Division. I don’t think Arbeloa is the right one for a situation like this. Real Madrid cannot improvise on the bench in such delicate moments.”

Recommend

Morocco celebrate historic Under-20 World Cup triumph

Thousands of supporters flooded the streets of Rabat on Wednesday to welcome Morocco’s under-20 footballers following their groundbreaking succe

ADVERTISEMENT

Sporting President cites transfer valuations for Mbeumo, Cunha, as Gyökeres saga continues

Sporting CP Lisbon president Frederico Varandas has claimed that the reason for his club's reluctance to let Viktor Gyökeres go is the transfer

Bounou saves late penalty as Al Hilal hold Real Madrid

Al Hilal made a bright start in their FIFA Club World Cup clash against Real Madrid, pressing high and testing the Spanish side’s backline from

Cherki stunner sends City into Carabao Cup semifinals

Manchester City booked their place in the Carabao Cup semifinals with a controlled 2-0 win over Brentford at the Etihad Stadium. Rayan Cherki’s

ADVERTISEMENT

Brighton beat Sunderland thanks to Yankuba Minteh’s goal

Minteh’s odd strike lifts Brighton past Sunderland Brighton secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light thanks to a str

Tunisia's valiant comeback falls just short against Nigeria

Tunisia mounted a breathtaking late comeback but ultimately fell just short, losing 3-2 to Nigeria in a thrilling Africa Cup of Nations Group C

David Raya pleased with 'difficult' win against Manchester United

David Raya confessed that he found himself far more occupied between the posts at Old Trafford on Sunday than he would have preferred, as Manche

ADVERTISEMENT

The final countdown: the battle for survival in the Roshn Saudi League

While the race for the Roshn Saudi League title grabs headlines, an equally intense battle is unfolding at the opposite end of the table, where

Toney strike secures opening win for Al-Ahli

Al-Ahli began the new Saudi Pro League campaign with a narrow 1-0 success over promoted side Neom on Thursday. England forward Ivan Toney provid

Bayern goalkeeper confirms end of international career

Manuel Neuer has made it clear he has no desire to rejoin the German national team. The 39-year-old goalkeeper dismissed recent speculation foll

ADVERTISEMENT

Bernardo Silva questions Premier League scheduling after Arsenal draw

Bernardo Silva expressed frustration with the Premier League timetable following Manchester City’s 1-1 draw against Arsenal at Emirates Stadium.

Rooney urges Slot to make a bold call

Former Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney believes Liverpool boss Arne Slot should consider leaving Mohamed Salah out of the starting lineup

DR Congo return to World Cup after half a century with dramatic play-off win

The Democratic Republic of Congo ended a 52-year absence from the World Cup with a narrow 1-0 victory over Jamaica in their intercontinental pla

ADVERTISEMENT

Chelsea handed record fine but avoids points deduction after historic breaches

Chelsea has received a £10m fine and a suspended transfer ban after admitting to making £47m in undisclosed payments to unregistered agents and

Pulisic dropped from US squad as coach demands discipline

United States men's national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino has taken a firm stance on team participation, emphasizing that players cannot