“Is it possible that Vinicius’ attitude is not the main concern? Could it be that intelligence is the missing piece?”

Former Real Madrid player Steve McManaman spoke with ‘Relevo’ in anticipation of the upcoming match between the Spanish powerhouse and Manchester City, and his insights were certainly thought-provoking. McManaman suggested that there were differences between this year’s game and last year’s match-up, and he also shared his feedback on Vinicius, arguing that the Brazilian player needs to up his cleverness quotient when it comes to playing on the pitch.

“The odds may favour Manchester City, but I’ll tell you what, there’s something magical about the Bernabeu. And when you consider that Madrid has players like Haaland, Rodrygo, Vinicius, Benzema, and Modric, the playing field becomes more even than people might expect,” he stated in his analysis.

However, McManaman went on to offer a more detailed commentary on Vinicius in particular. “While Rodrygo scored a pair of goals in their final match, the player who made the biggest impact on the pitch was clearly Vinicius. He possesses such an incredible amount of finesse, but he needs to take it down a notch and play more thoughtfully and strategically. He often takes a beating from opponents, and that needs to stop,” he advised.

These comments are especially noteworthy given Vinicius’ ongoing struggle with aggression on the field and his tendency to let rival players get into his head, thereby compromising his ability to score goals and lead his team to victory. It remains to be seen whether Vinicius can rise to the challenge this Tuesday against talented defenders like Kyle Walker and Akanji at the Bernabeu, but one thing is clear: the stakes are high, and the pressure is on.