Kylian Mbappé reaffirmed his support for his Real Madrid teammate Vinícius Júnior by declaring himself to be “always on your boat” after Saturday’s 3–1 victory over Villarreal.
After a campaign thus far dominated by Mbappé, Vinícius was the standout figure at the Santiago Bernabéu as Madrid eased to all three points, scoring twice and getting Santiago Mouriño sent off. The Brazilian’s second of the evening came from 12 yards after Mbappé unexpectedly handed over penalty-taking duties for the first time this season.
The Frenchman, who would extend his own scoring record from open play in the final 10 minutes, had not yet found the back of the net when he gave the ball and a kiss to Vinícius.
“Siempre en tu barco,” was the message Mbappé delivered on social media after the game. “Always on your boat.”
While Mbappé has been hailed as a serious Ballon d’Or contender during his blistering start to the season, Vinícius has endured a more testing adaptation spell under Xabi Alonso. No longer a guaranteed starter with Rodrygo eagerly waiting in the wings to snatch away his first-choice berth, Madrid’s No. 7 has repeatedly cut an openly exasperated figure.
Alonso wasn’t entirely enamored by the heartfelt act. “Today it was decided between them, but the taker is still Mbappé,” Madrid’s manager bluntly outlined. “It was a matter for both of them.”
Vinícius may have strengthened his bond with Mbappé and totted up two more goals for his seasonal tally, but it was not a performance without controversy.
Vinícius Accused of Cheating in Real Madrid Win
Villarreal midfielder Santiago Comesaña was thoroughly unimpressed with two refereeing decisions which both revolved around Vinícius.
To begin with, Madrid’s star forward tumbled in the area to win the penalty which he converted after what Comesaña deemed to be minimal contact. “For me, it has to be something more,” the defeated visitor sighed to DAZN. “It’s a penalty that hurts us a lot because at 1–0 we were in the game. You just have to see how [Vinicius] goes down, he goes down with both feet [in the air].”
Vinícius’s successful spot kick made it 2–0 but Villarreal had halved the deficit through Georges Mikautadze with 15 minutes left to play. Yet, their hope of a fightback was extinguished by Mouriño’s second yellow card in the 77th minute. The retreating right back appeared to shove Vinícius in the chest as the Brazilian tumbled to the ground holding his face.
“Then you have to look at the sending off,” Comesaña added. “He got in front of [Vinícius] and sent him off. If it’s already difficult to win at the Bernabéu, with things like this, it’s even more complicated.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Kylian Mbappe Sends Vinicius Jr Four-Word Message After Surprise Gesture.
