Real Madrid: Vinicius Jr's troubling statistic against AS Roma

14.10.26 FT Champions League

Roma

3

:

Real Madrid

4

On Wednesday evening, Vinicius Jr endured another nightmare against AS Roma in the Champions League (3-4).

Hours after learning of his heavy four-match La Liga suspension for pulling an opponent’s hair against Villarreal, Vinicius Jr hoped to rediscover his form on the European stage. But he disappointed once again. Struggling badly, Vinicius Jr was eventually replaced by Endrick in the 58th minute.

The Brazilian reacted to his substitution with a great deal of frustration. And from the bench, he watched his teammates stage a spectacular comeback after he was taken off.

Vinicius Jr records an unfamiliar statistic

Yesterday, a statistic perfectly illustrated the extent of the Brazilian international’s poor performance. In nearly an hour on the pitch at the Stadio Olimpico, Vinicius Jr touched the ball just 22 times. He did not attempt a single shot and, above all, did not attempt a single dribble.

Read also: Champions League: Luis Enrique sets a record at PSG

This had never happened to the Brazilian in 310 starts for Real Madrid. A particularly worrying figure for a player whose bursts of acceleration and ability to make the difference individually are usually his main weapons.

Joshua SOSSOU

Editorfr, en, ar

As a sports fan, and particularly a football fan, I've been putting my writing talent to good use for a number of years now to promote African talent and the continent's football in general. On Foot Africa, enjoy reading each of my lines.

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