Real Madrid’s Substitutes ‘Changed The Game’ In Win Over Real Valladolid
Real Madrid defeated Real Valladolid 1-0 in their recent La Liga matchup, and the performances of the substitutes were key to Los Blancos pulling away with the close win.
Out of all the players who came off the bench, it was Vinicius Junior who stepped up the most for his squad. Vinicius was the only player to net a goal in the match when he scored in the 65th minute.
"We are all happy with the game," Vinicius said, Goal reported.
With striker Luka Jovic struggling throughout the game, Zinedine Zidane decided to turn to Vinicius, Dani Carvajal and Marco Asensio on the field.
"The first half was more complicated, but Zidane changed the system in the second," Vinicius added. "He brought Asensio and I on and we were able to change the game."
Asensio has struggled in the past year as he’s recently recovered from an ACL tear. Playing alongside Vinicius was a positive sign of how he’s slowly bouncing back from his injuries and getting back to form.
"It was a different game from Betis," Vinicius shared.
"Valladolid put a lot of people behind the ball, but the important thing is that we won both games," he continued.
Expectations are high for Real Madrid as the club is coming off a dominant performance in last year’s La Liga. With Zidane winning his 11th title as a Real Madrid coach, the club is looking forward to adding more trophies in the years to come.
"It's the beginning of the season – we haven't play friendlies and we had little time to train," the 20-year-old pointed out.
Despite this, the Brazilian standout remains confident, considering the way the team has been performing on the defensive end.
"We know that if we do not concede, we have many options in attack. We continue working with Zidane to improve upfront. The system depends on the players and each opponent," Vinicius concluded.
The current La Liga standings have Real Madrid at third place with a record of two wins and one draw. The club will look to improve its season in its upcoming match against Levante on Oct. 4.