Real Madrid Confidencial Harsh criticism from Javi Balboa to Vinicius after Real Madrid - Osasuna: 'I don't see him…'
The panelist hasn't shown any mercy toward Vinicius's version
La Liga returned for Real Madrid after a very short summer, with a preseason of only two weeks. Los Merengues saw how that lack of rhythm compared to their rival took its toll on them. However, they managed to get the 3 points thanks to a penalty goal from Mbappé that gave them the victory.
It wasn't a great match. Once again, many spotlights were on Vinicius's performance, especially in attack. The Brazilian couldn't get past his defender when he tried to take him on, and he didn't create any danger either. He did look for some connections with Mbappé that almost ended in a goal.
But that doesn't seem enough for Balboa, who on El Chiringuito showed no mercy to the Brazilian. "I see him down, I see him apathetic" the panelist pointed out regarding Vinicius. Although this isn't the first time he has criticized number 7 from Madrid, this time he was clear from the very first match of the season.
"During the first half, he kept insisting that the ball be played to him so he could try," he began saying. It was the best way to break down Osasuna's defense since "he's the best dribbler. But when the ball got to him, 70 percent of the time he played it backwards."
Balboa kept analyzing his game and kept insisting that "he didn't see him motivated. In those situations, he would go with the crowd, try to get people to cheer," he compared with other seasons. It seems that the image he saw of Vinicius didn't quite convince him.
Vinicius better in sacrifice but still not decisive
We already saw it in the friendly against Tirol and it was repeated against Osasuna at the start of the season. Vinicius did well in terms of sacrifice, defending and trying to press. In fact, we saw him drop back quickly to recover some important balls.
It was a good attitude, which, however, didn't translate into attack for Vinicius to be decisive. With the ball at his feet, Mbappé created more danger, beyond the goal he scored. Vinicius still hasn't reached his best form from two seasons ago.
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