Real Madrid's Vinícius Júnior turned Manchester City fans' taunting banner into motivation, delivering a stellar performance that led to his team's 3-2 victory in Tuesday's Champions League knockout phase playoff first leg at the Etihad Stadium.
Before the match, City supporters displayed a provocative banner featuring midfielder Rodri holding the Ballon d'Or trophy he won ahead of Vinícius last year, accompanied by the Oasis song title "Stop Crying Your Heart Out." The banner referenced the ongoing dispute over the prestigious award, which had prompted Real Madrid to boycott the Ballon d'Or ceremony in October in protest of Vinícius being overlooked.
The Brazilian forward responded brilliantly on the field, earning UEFA's Player of the Match honors. His outstanding performance culminated in a decisive moment when he expertly lobbed the ball over City's goalkeeper Ederson to set up Jude Bellingham's winning goal in the 92nd minute.
"I saw [the banner]," Vinícius told Movistar after the match. "But when opposition fans do things, it always gives me more strength to play a great game, and here I did that. [City] know our history, and everything we've done in this competition."
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti acknowledged the banner's potential impact, stating in his post-match conference, "I don't know if Vini saw it, but having seen the game, if he saw it, it was a big motivation for him." Meanwhile, City's manager Pep Guardiola, while admitting he hadn't seen the banner, recognized Vinícius as "an extraordinary player."
The victory was particularly impressive given Real Madrid's defensive challenges. Ancelotti revealed that his back four of Raúl Asencio, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Federico Valverde, and Ferland Mendy had never played or trained together before, yet delivered what he called a "spectacular game." The Italian manager expressed optimism about the team's prospects, noting that Antonio Rüdiger and David Alaba are expected to return for the second leg at the Bernabéu.
"This is the way," Ancelotti declared. "We've been talking about it for a long time. The season really starts now, and despite all our difficulties, we've got a very good result." With what he describes as a "slight advantage" heading into the second leg, Real Madrid's resilience and Vinícius's inspired performance have set the stage for an intriguing return fixture in Madrid.
