Vinicius is no longer embarrassing

Vinicius is back in the news at Real Madrid as he faces a crucial stretch with the Merengues: his four-match suspension in LaLiga, including the visit to Barcelona on October 25th, coincides with the emergence of Yan Diomandé. José Mourinho will need to manage heightened competition after the 4-1 loss to RB Leipzig, where the Brazilian once again failed to score.

The scenario has shifted for Vinicius. The 26-year-old forward has gone nine consecutive matches without a goal for Real Madrid and has not scored for the club since August 26th. Against Leipzig, he played 70 minutes, had three shots, two on target, and was substituted without attempting a dribble.

His absence in LaLiga comes at a delicate time. The Appeal Committee upheld the four-match ban stemming from his expulsion against Villarreal: two for the incident with Nathan Saliba and two more for subsequent protests. The punishment sidelines him for matches against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing, and Valencia.

Vinicius Jr left the game very sad, it's clear he is very frustrated and affected by his performance. 😔💔 https://t.co/jV23gjBvNM

— MT2 (@madrid_total2) October 21, 2026

Vinicius loses ground as Yan Diomandé steps up

The substitution against Leipzig intensified the competition on the left flank. Yan Diomandé, a 19-year-old winger, came on for Vinicius in the 70th minute and made an impact in just 17 minutes contributing to two goals for Real Madrid.

He first assisted Kylian Mbappé for the 3-0 goal and then scored the 4-1 with a volley after a pass from Brahim Díaz. Diomandé already has one goal and two assists in the Champions League, right when José Mourinho will have to do without Vinicius for four league matches. On El Chiringuito, Edu Aguirre said, "Vinicius is experiencing a mental block".

The next test is the Clásico. Vinicius won't be able to play on October 25th at Camp Nou, and Diomandé emerges as a natural alternative to occupy the left. The Brazilian's absence gives the coach a chance to see if the Ivorian's performance can also be sustained from the start.

José Mourinho faces a weighty decision at Real Madrid

Mourinho sent a signal against Leipzig: he chose Vinicius as a starter and initially kept Diomandé on the bench, but their impacts were vastly different. The Brazilian left without a goal, while the Ivorian directly contributed to two goals in the final minutes.

The situation doesn't imply an immediate exit or a market decision regarding Vinicius, but it does impact his sporting hierarchy. His suspension limits his chances in LaLiga and focuses his upcoming competitive minutes on the Champions League, where Real Madrid will face AEK Athens on November 4th.

After that match, he will still have to fulfill the league fixture against Valencia on November 7th and navigate through the international break before returning to LaLiga. If Diomandé maintains his form during that period, Mourinho will reach late November with an open competition on the left side, and Vinicius will need to regain his scoring touch and influence to defend his position.

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