Vinícius Júnior missed his second penalty in less than a month as Real Madrid were thrashed at home by down-to-earth Valencia, 2-1 on Saturday, leaving a gap difference of 4 points to Barcelona to extend their leading streak on top of the LaLiga standings.
Hansi Flick’s team is currently at the top of the standings with 67 points, four points ahead of Real Madrid in second place and nine points clear of Atlético in third.
Though their conceived plans didn’t go as purported with their home draw against Real Betis later on Saturday, their lead increased to just a point with eight games remaining.
Madrid was in possession throughout the game but ended up wasting too many chances, with Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili putting in a brilliant performance between the posts, including blocking Vinícius’ first-half penalty, which was the silver lining to the equalising of the game.
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Though the match didn’t end as many fans hoped, Vinicius Jr made a legendary turn in his career as he
equaled Ronaldo Nazario as Real Madrid’s highest-scoring Brazilian.
Vinicius Jr will inevitably take that throne as his and his alone at some point, but it has to be considered an honorable achievement, especially considering how Vinicius Jr started out at Real Madrid.
The winger used to only score three to five goals a season, and so many chances were left completely ruined because of the Brazilian’s lack of finishing touch.
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Since 2021, Vinicius Jr has been able to become a master at it and has surpassed his previous year’s numbers every time, showing his year-by-year improvement.
He now has 103 goals for Real Madrid, which is the same amount as Ronaldo’s five years at the club.
