Real Madrid made life difficult for themselves against Elche on Tuesday night, but eventually secured the victory thanks to Carlos Espi, Vinicius Junior..
The matches are beginning to follow the same pattern for Real Madrid. José Mourinho’s side once again struggled to maintain a high level of performance for the full 90 minutes and, above all, wasted several clear scoring opportunities that could have made the evening much more comfortable.
Vinicius Junior was particularly guilty in that regard. The Brazilian had chances to put the game beyond Elche’s reach during the first half but failed to take advantage of them. His overall performance was another disappointing one in what has so far been an inconsistent season.
While Vinicius struggled to make an impact, Yan Diomande produced arguably his best display since joining Real Madrid.
The Ivorian winger was handed his second consecutive start and made the most of the opportunity. Diomande impressed in almost every aspect of his game, showing intensity without the ball, contributing defensively and constantly offering support to his teammates.
Going forward, he was equally dangerous. His pace, direct running and ability to beat defenders caused Elche major problems throughout the match. He also made a decisive contribution by providing the assist for Kylian Mbappé, underlining his growing importance in Mourinho’s attacking plans.
The contrast between Diomande’s energetic performance and Vinicius’ difficult evening did not go unnoticed in the Spanish media.
“Vinicius has lost his inner fire, and that is something that is difficult to recover,” journalist Alex Ruiz wrote in AS. “Once you have reached the very top, as Vinicius has done, it becomes difficult to rediscover the same hunger required to return there.”
Meanwhile, Tomas Roncero went even further during his appearances on Cadena SER and El Chiringuito, sending a clear warning to the Brazilian winger.
“Diomande put Vinicius under pressure in front of Mourinho today,” Roncero said. “He was dangerous, he created imbalance and he sacrificed himself defensively. If Vinicius’ performances do not improve, he will have to sit on the bench.”
The journalist believes Diomande is quickly becoming a genuine competitor for a regular place in Real Madrid’s starting XI.
😰 "Si yo fuese VINICIUS, estaría PREOCUPADO por DIOMANDE".
— El Chiringuito TV (@elchiringuitotv) September 15, 2026
⁉️ ¿Estás de acuerdo con @As_TomasRoncero? pic.twitter.com/2XTfpdVMC1
“If I were Vinicius, I would be worried about Diomande,” Roncero added. “He has just put forward a very serious case to put enormous pressure on Vinicius because, if Diomande continues producing performances like this one, the supporters will start demanding that he becomes a regular starter.”
For Mourinho, the emergence of Diomande gives him another important attacking option at a time when competition for places is becoming increasingly intense.
For Vinicius, however, the message is clear. His reputation alone may no longer guarantee him a place in the starting lineup. With Diomande gaining confidence and taking advantage of every opportunity, the Brazilian may now be facing one of the strongest challenges to his position since establishing himself as a key player at Real Madrid.
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first to react.