Vinicius Junior faces Real Madrid uncertainty after criticism against AEK Athens

Vinicius Junior is under renewed pressure at Real Madrid after another subdued performance in their 3-2 Champions League victory over AEK Athens in Greece.

The Brazil winger started the match after being given an opportunity by manager Jose Mourinho, having missed Real Madrid’s recent La Liga fixtures while serving a four-match suspension. But he failed to make a significant impact as Real Madrid recovered from 2-1 down with 15 minutes remaining to secure a dramatic win.

Vinicius began on the left, allowing Yan Diomande to move to the right following the latter’s impressive run of matches in that position. However, the former Flamengo player struggled to influence the game and was unable to justify his selection.

Diomande’s form on the left had increased the importance of Vinicius making his chance count in Athens. Unlike several of his team-mates, he had also benefited from a period of rest because of his absence from Real Madrid’s recent league games.

Instead, Vinicius offered little attacking threat and lacked precision when attempting to dribble past opponents.

Spanish criticism intensifies

The response in Spain was severe, with AS describing his first-half display as “lamentable”.

“In the second half, he tried, but he did not succeed. At the moment, Diomande is far ahead of him in the starting line-up,” the newspaper added.

Former Real Madrid player Jorge Valdano, who is generally measured in his analysis, was also highly critical of Vinicius during a television programme on Movistar.

“‘Acceptable’ is not a word that applies to a player like Vinicius. He put in very little effort and rarely succeeded,” Valdano said.

“He made only one good move. We remember very little from his game tonight; for a player who maintained such an exceptional level for such a long time, that is far too little.

“This pale performance from Vinicius will not help him recover the status that Diomande has secured.”

Vinicius will be unavailable for Real Madrid’s match against Valencia in La Liga on 07 November 2026 because of his suspension. AEK Athens are scheduled to face Levadiakos in the Greek Super League on 08 November 2026.

Despite the team’s comeback in Greece, Vinicius is no longer viewed as an automatic choice in Mourinho’s preferred Real Madrid starting XI.

MARCA said it might appear easy to blame Vinicius for Real Madrid’s problems, but added that “it is no coincidence that Mourinho’s team’s level drops when the Brazilian is on the pitch”.

The newspaper also highlighted what it considered a lack of defensive commitment.

Vinicius now appears to be going through a difficult loss of form, leaving him facing the strong possibility of starting on the bench when he returns from suspension.