Vinicius, Real Madrid must prove consistency in Atletico derby
Real Madrid's Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior scored two against Man City and made his point to the English team's fans (Oli SCARFF) Real Madrid have a host of brilliant players, including winger Vinicius Junior, but both he and the team as a whole must prove they can play consistently on Sunday against Atletico Madrid in a La Liga derby clash. Alvaro Arbeloa's side dispatched Manchester City in the Champions League last 16 with two victories after entering the tie as underdogs, and it could be a turning point for their whole season. Under Xabi Alonso and then Arbeloa from January, Real Madrid have struggled to perform in a reliable fashion week-to-week.
French superstar Kylian Mbappe, who returned from a knee sprain on Tuesday against City as a substitute, pointed it out a few weeks ago. "We have to be consistent, that's a problem we have to solve, we can't be good one day and then the next day not, that's not what a champion team does," Mbappe said after Benfica routed Madrid in January in Lisbon. Since then Arbeloa's side have moved up a gear, mostly in Mbappe's absence, with their best outing of the season coming in the 3-0 home win over Pep Guardiola's shellshocked Man City last week.
In the return Vinicius Junior netted twice as Los Blancos triumphed 2-1 in Manchester, with the forward returning Arbeloa's faith in him. The 25-year-old has upset Madrid's own fans at times this season, becoming a lightning rod for criticism, but they are behind him now after a superb start to 2026. Madrid host rivals Atletico on Sunday at the Santiago Bernabeu, aiming to stay in touch with champions Barcelona, who currently hold a four-point lead.
Hansi Flick's side, who cruised to a 7-2 win over Newcastle in the Champions League on Wednesday, host Rayo Vallecano earlier on Sunday. If Madrid can build on their performances against City by beating Diego Simeone’s Rojiblancos, it will give them a platform to build on after the upcoming international break. Los Blancos face a stern test against Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals and will be well positioned in the Spanish title race, provided they emerge triumphant against Atletico.
After a run of six goals in five games, Vinicius's scoring slowed down, failing to find the net in the next four matches, until his brace against City, assuaging fears his form was dipping again. During a run of 16 games in the first half of the season Vinicius was frustrated in front of goal and it contributed towards Alonso's early exit. Arbeloa is also yet to prove that the Brazilian and Mbappe can line up together without weakening Madrid as a whole, despite their supreme individual quality.
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