Los Blancos lost the first leg 2-1 in Madrid and ended up 4-2 down aggregate, but Zidane chose to lead Lucas Vazquez, Luka Jovic, and Fede Valverde the 83rd minute, leaving Vinicius to watch further from the stands.
Vinicius is the best winger in LaLiga
Zinedine Zidane chose not to pull Vinicius Junior off the bench in Real Madrid’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium last Friday, August 8. A decision that has confused former Barcelona star Rivaldo. Los Blancos lost the first leg 2-1 in Madrid and ended up 4-2 down aggregate. But Zidane chose to lead Lucas Vazquez, Luka Jovic, and Fede Valverde the 83rd minute, leaving Vinicius to watch further from the stands. “I find it hard to understand why he didn’t play after what he did this season as one of the best wingers in LaLiga,” Rivaldo told journalists when asked about Vinicius. “And besides, there was no news of injuries or anything like that.”
“I am convinced that if he played, he would be a headache for Pep Guardiola. But he sat all 90 minutes of the game in such an important tie. Surely only Zidane and the boy know what happened and what they talked about before the game. But it can only be understood as a strange decision. If there was nothing personal or injury, this is Zidane’s controversial decision and a difficult moment for Vinicius, who would love to take part in such an important Champions League match.”