Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior is arguably one of the best wide operators in the world, thanks to his direct style of play. However, a former Barcelona attacking midfielder has asserted the Brazilian is overhyped and has no room to grow.
Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior Handed Harsh Verdict
Giovanni, who represented Barcelona, Santos, and Olympiacos during his career, has hinted that Vinicius is only capable of making the most of his pace and has no other skill set. He also believes the Real Madrid superstar is indecisive in the final third.
“Vinicius Junior is a limited athlete, he just dribbles at speed. That’s it. If you put a strong, fast guy marking him, he won’t do anything. He’s not a decisive player,” Giovanni, who is a former 18-cap Brazil international, recently said on Benja Me Mucho.
Over the past couple of months, Vinicius has drawn a lot of scrutiny due to his lackadaisical performances in a Los Blancos jersey. The 25-year-old winger has found the back of the net just once in his last 14 La Liga appearances, providing only two assists.
The Flamengo academy graduate’s productivity has waned of late despite the star relishing an excellent start to the ongoing 2025-26 season. He recorded an impressive five goals and four assists in his first eight La Liga appearances this campaign.
Overall, the Brazilian attacker has contributed eight goals and 11 assists in 33 total outings for Los Blancos this season. He is next likely to be in action in his club’s La Liga away clash against Valencia, who are 16th in the league table, on Sunday, Feb. 8.
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Meanwhile, former Real Madrid midfielder Alvaro Benito has torn into his former team for their dearth of character and identity on the pitch under Alvaro Arbeloa.
“Time goes by, and we still don’t know what Real Madrid’s footballing philosophy is now. Is it a team that wants to counter-attack, defend high, press, keep possession, dominate? To dominate, you obviously have to meet many defensive requirements that aren’t being met. I think Arbeloa has a lot of work ahead of him,” Benito told Movistar+.
Since replacing Xabi Alonso in his team’s dugout last month, Arbeloa has been in charge of six matches across competitions. He has guided Los Merengues to four wins and two losses so far, having lost his first match 3-2 to Albacete in the Copa del Rey.
