Real Madrid bagged a 3-0 win against Real Oviedo in their second La Liga match of the 2025/26 campaign on August 24, at Carlos Tartiere Stadium.
Kylian Mbappe scored a brace, with his second goal coming from an assist by Vinicius Junior, who came off the bench, replacing Rodrygo on the pitch in the 63rd minute. The Brazilian star then went on to net the third and last goal of the game in 90+3 minutes.
Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso’s decision not to include Vinicius in the starting XI against Oviedo raised questions, as the 25-year-old has rarely been named on the bench over the past few seasons at the Spanish giants.
Vinicius’ exclusion from the starting squad also came amid reported disagreements between him and Real Madrid over his salary negotiation in a possible contract extension.
Following Real Madrid’s victory, Alonso explained his decision to bench Vinicius, mentioning that players have to ‘demand respect.’
What did Xabi Alonso say about Vinicius being benched in Real Madrid’s La Liga clash?
Vinicius not making it to Real Madrid’s starting lineup against Oviedo led to doubts and concerns surfacing about the winger’s future at Santiago Bernabeu. While speaking in the post-match press conference, Alonso claimed his decision about the Flamengo graduate was tactical and said,
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“Everyone is different, and you have to demand respect, and the relationship is a little different. In football, decisions are made with the team in mind; you have to understand things, and that was the case today,” as per GOAL.
“The substitutions from game to game depend on what we need in terms of workload and opponent. I haven’t made any decisions for next month. It’s important for people to feel important, ready, and ready for the next game. It’s important to maintain a stable performance as a team. It was a game to see that we continue to grow. After Tuesday against Osasuna, we’ve grown today, and we want to continue like this.”
With his current contract valid until the summer of 2027, it remains to be seen if Vinicius starts in Real Madrid’s next league clash against Mallorca on August 30 at Santiago Bernabeu.
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