The 'Holy Trinity' Vini Has Completed in Champions League: His Latest MVP Crowns Him

Real Madrid secured a narrow and hard-fought victory from their visit to Etihad Stadium. This Round of 16 tie in the Champions League is still unsolved, as the second leg at Santiago Bernabéu is yet to be played. But in the first leg, the standout player of the match was once again Vinícius, who provided two assists to his teammates.

Although he didn't score despite his chances, number 7 delivered another memorable performance. The UEFA verdict on the matter left no doubt. He was chosen as the MVP of the match even though the winning goal for the Whites was scored by an equally outstanding Jude Bellingham. After that small individual accolade, it is clear that the Champions League is the favorite competition of the South American forward.

Right now the verdeamarelo footballer has three MVP trophies in three of the most challenging "strongholds" of the Old Continent. Adding the prize recently achieved at the Etihad, the South American striker received a similar recognition from previous visits to Anfield Road. The same happened during the last European campaign, in the first leg of the semifinals.

The 2-2 tie  between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid allowed the Carioca footballer, who scored a brace to keep the Whites "alive", to earn that recognition. The MVP trophy won at Etihad Stadium is a sign that the best Vinícius is slowly returning.

On the Rise

This comeback was eagerly awaited by the Whites' fans after a 24/25 season full of doubts. His occasional physical issues, as well as a consistently controversial disciplinary issue, have significantly reduced the total number of matches played in the current soccer season. But his performance at Manchester City's stadium, which until yesterday was the last stronghold of the big six of the Premier League in the Champions League, is very promising.

A large part of the competitive aspirations for this and upcoming seasons depends on Vinícius's success as a footballer for the Whites. The executives led by Florentino Pérez want to finalize his renewal as soon as possible, avoiding the unnecessary prolongation of a saga that would only distract the Santiago Bernabéu locker room.

So far, not much progress has been made in that direction. The contradictory information provided in recent days speaks of a rejected offer and the absence of negotiations between both parties. It was Vinícius himself who, in his post-match interview, made it clear that he hoped to solve those talks very soon to stay with the Merengue team beyond 2027.

In any case, Madridists will be watching what Vinícius does in the coming months. The most important stages of the 24/25 season have already arrived starting with the Madrid classic. It will be then when the Carioca footballer must assume his responsibility and role as a leader of the Madrid squad to continue adding more titles.