At Real Madrid, the equation of “opposite odds” burns between Vinicius and Mbappe

Real Madrid’s win over Espanyol with Vinicius Junior’s signature double opened the file of silent controversies again. Will the Brazilian probe tactically when Kylian Mbappe is out?

Vinicius led Real Madrid to a valuable win over Espanyol in Mbappe’s absence through injury, scoring both the winning goals and producing a committed and effective performance throughout the 90 minutes.

The French star’s absence, which has coincided with questions about the extent of his commitment to the team, has given the Brazilian more room to move and make decisions.

But the official numbers tell a less grim story than what is seen on the pitch, and according to Radio Kobe’s Pedro Martin, Vinicius has scored 12 goals with Mbappe on the pitch, compared to nine in his absence.

For his part, Sergio Valentin from esRadio presented another perspective of the comparison, which he confirmed. “Real Madrid win when Mbappe plays only 68% of the time, and win when Vinicius plays only 67% of the time, while winning when both play 61% of the time.

Although the numerical difference does not seem decisive, the technical impression tends to another hypothesis. Vinicius is at his best when played alongside him as an open forward, occupying both defensive hearts and open spaces for him. That’s what happened against Espanyol after Gonzalo came on as a substitute, as the Brazilian scored both goals immediately after the substitution.

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Between what the statistics say and what the spectators see on the pitch, the question remains open in Madrid. Is the problem the technical duality of the two stars, or the lack of a classic spear that gives Vinicius the freedom he needs?