KEY POINTS

  • Real Madrid lost against Manchester City with Vinicius Junior sitting on the bench
  • Vinicius is still considered a valuable asset for the club
  • Working as a backup for Eden Hazard, Vinicius’ potential remains high in Zinedine Zidane’s lineup

The expectations are great for any of Zinedine Zidane’s lineups for Real Madrid. For forward Vinicius Junior, the ceiling is still high for the young star despite being benched in their recent loss against Manchester City.

While there are big names such as Eden Hazard in the club, the team would still need additional help to sustain a balanced attack. This is where Vinicius comes in as a high-value talent for Zidane as he has the potential to be a bigger star in the future. As his strengths lie on the left-wing, Vinicius has the ability to get past through his defenders and make offensive opportunities on the pitch. Despite being questioned why Vinicius was unable to get any action in their latest match, the Brazilian remains as an important member of the club.

There are more chances to improve for Vinicius in Real Madrid and it will only be a matter of time before he could develop them further in years to come, per Fansided’s The Real Champs. Throughout his 69 appearances with Real Madrid, he has already proven to be a great player on the field. The young 20-year-old has already scored eight times for Real Madrid and tallied 16 assists.

To add to these, Vinicius is also seen as an elite dribbler who stays aggressive on the pitch. With the way he likes to cut inside and play with short passes, the former U-17 South American Championships top scorer moves well enough to serve as a threat in the game. With Hazard as the veteran player of the squad, he also has a lot to learn from his more experienced peers. This means taking notes in where they excel at and adjusting based on their weaknesses.

It will be interesting to see how Vinicius improves under the leadership of Zidane if he’s given more opportunities to start. While Real Madrid has won multiple titles, it will be important that they continue to expand their team’s strengths. Developing their young stars is crucial if they want to maintain the success that they continuously aim for.

Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane has resigned as Real Madrid manager. In this picture, Real Madrid's French coach Zinedine Zidane gives a press conference to announce his resignation in Madrid, May 31, 2018 PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU/AFP/Getty Images