Vinicius Junior Bounces Back After Benching, Leads Real Madrid to Victory

Real Madrid has made an ideal start to the new season under their new manager Xabi Alonso, securing three consecutive wins in the last three weeks. Their latest victory came against Mallorca at the Santiago Bernabeu, where they won 2-1 in a hard-fought match.

One of the key talking points from the game was the performance of Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian winger had been benched in the previous match against Osasuna due to poor form, but he came off the bench against Real Oviedo and made an immediate impact with a goal and an assist. In the Mallorca game, Vinicius scored a stunning goal, chopping the ball back on his left foot and slotting it through the defender's legs. His overall play also looked more confident, with decent pressing and better decision-making.

Another player who has generated a lot of excitement is the Argentinian prodigy, Franco Mastantuono. Signed by Real Madrid, Mastantuono has been compared to Lamine Yamal, but the article cautions that the young winger/10 is still raw and needs time to develop without the pressure of high expectations. He has shown plenty of flashes of his talent, but his game is still a work in progress.

Despite the win, Real Madrid's performance was not entirely convincing, as they looked tired and vulnerable at times, with Mallorca failing to capitalize on their opportunities. This is likely a result of the players adjusting to the new pressing style implemented by Alonso, which should become more natural as they continue to adapt to the new manager's tactics.