Maldini fails several Real Madrid players, watch out for his jab at Vinicius Jr

The debut in LaLiga against Osasuna ended in a great victory for Real Madrid thanks to Kylian Mbappé. Through a penalty, the French forward managed to score the only goal of the entire match.  Despite the result, Maldini failed several players on the team, highlighting Vinicius Júnior, to whom he gave a 4.5 because he expected more.

"I didn't see the Vinicius who can break the balance, with the ability to get past defenders that we know," were his words. This was a strong criticism of a player who, despite his lack of goals, contributed a lot to the team until he left the field. "I don't rule out that if Vinicius doesn't improve now, he'll start seeing the bench," Maldini added to his comments.

This was a shocking blow to a player who has always been decisive for Real Madrid, especially in important matches. Although it wasn't his best match, Xabi Alonso, as we know from Defensa Central, trusts him. Alongside the Brazilian, another player failed by Maldini was Alexander-Arnold, to whom he gave a rating of 3.

Maldini's suspensions

In what is his seventh season at Real Madrid, Vinicius is going through a difficult time. Despite his enormous talent, the Brazilian's level has been criticized since last season. Even with 22 goals and 19 assists, thousands of people point out that Vinicius hasn't been at his best for a long time.

Maldini's rating is a clear reflection of the opinion of several sectors of Madridism. Even so, given his relevance at 25 years old, being a substitute is far from being an option for his future. Having shown his great level in past seasons, Vinicius has enough time to shine again in the desired way.

Alexander-Arnold is experiencing a different situation, as he didn't have a good match against Osasuna. Maldini himself has made it clear that if Trent doesn't improve, Carvajal will become the undisputed starter. Meanwhile, players like Carreras and Mbappé were approved by Maldini, receiving a 7.5 and 9 rating respectively.

Room for improvement

Despite all the rumors about his supposed departure from Real Madrid, Vinicius has ruled this out. The Brazilian winger has confirmed on more than one occasion his commitment to the team. Looking ahead to the coming seasons, Vinicius just needs to focus on becoming the player who led Real Madrid to its last Champions League title again.