Mourinho had made it clear that in Athens it would be Vinicius plus 10 others. “He plays, he plays,” he confirmed on the eve of the game. There was no doubt about that. The doubts belong to the Brazilian, though, and they are showing in his game. He cannot shake them off, and against AEK this was not the fresh start he was looking for.

A player whose trademark is taking defenders on did not complete a single dribble and attempted only one. The player who once embodied persistence and repetition cannot find the right formula. He is looking for it, and he has the coaching staff’s support. That much is clear. But he was substituted in the 81st minute, his arms hanging by his sides. He started the night smiling and left the field with his head down. That is probably the best summary of all.

Mourinho continues to back him and show faith in him. “He was good. After that I wanted freshness. Carreras gets forward a lot on the outside and Brahim plays very well inside. Vini played a very acceptable game,” he said in defense of the Brazilian in the mixed zone at the AEK Arena, before later sitting down in front of the assembled media.

But both player and coach know that “acceptable” is not the adjective that should define Vinicius. A player once associated with the extraordinary is now watching Diomande take on that role. For context, even playing on the right, Diomande completed four of his seven attempted dribbles. Vinicius, meanwhile, is trying to rediscover himself. He remains out of sorts and cannot find a way back to his best.

A year ago, he tore Olympiacos apart with two assists for Mbappé. Back in Greece on Wednesday, he struggled badly. He failed to make his mark in Rome, his first opportunity after the red card that has ruled him out of four league games, with Saturday’s trip to Valencia the last of those absences, and he failed to do so again in Athens.

Mourinho nevertheless defended him once more when the subject came up again in the press room. First, he was asked whether Vinicius’ presence was forcing Diomande to switch wings.

“Vinicius hasn’t forced anything. Diomande came to Real Madrid to be able to play on both wings, not just one. He doesn’t care. It changes absolutely nothing for him which side he plays on.”

Vinicius: “Acceptable, not extraordinary”

Mourinho was then asked again about Vinicius’ performance.

“He played an acceptable game, not an extraordinary one. But the team didn’t play an extraordinary game either. And within that context, Vinicius did his job very well.

“Obviously, when I’m making changes in an open game, I have to think about the result, but also a little about Valencia. Taking off Diomande and not Vinicius... or Bernardo and not Camavinga, because Tchouameni will play in Valencia... with some of the substitutions, I was thinking about Saturday.”

A game in which Vini will once again find himself under the microscope.

Vinicius goes six games without a goal or assist

He has scored once this season, 70 days ago against Real Sociedad in LaLiga, and provided three assists. But this was his sixth consecutive game without either a goal or an assist, something that, as journalist Pedro Martín points out, had not happened since the 2022-23 season.

It was also his third straight Champions League game without completing a dribble.

And that is where the comparison with his past is most striking, because dribbling has always been his greatest weapon. Across LaLiga and the Champions League this season, he is completing 1.63 dribbles per 90 minutes from 3.98 attempts. In 2023-24, when he came close to winning the Ballon d’Or, he completed 3.27 of 8.36 attempts per 90.

It is not just about success rate. It is about how often he is even trying.

Against AEK, this simply was not his night. Excluding Courtois, he had the fewest touches of any starter, with 48. He won only two of his seven duels, lost possession 11 times, and none of his three shots were on target.

He did create two chances, including one after a superb outside-of-the-foot pass to Mbappé, but the overall return was nowhere near enough to suggest that he is ready to take off again.

A bad day at the office, both statistically and in terms of the overall impression. Perhaps it was “acceptable,” but Vinicius is supposed to be “extraordinary.” Mourinho knows it, and so does he. That is why he left the field with his head down.

Get closer to the game! Whether you like your soccer of the European variety or that on this side of the pond, our AS USA app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more. Plus, stay updated on NFL, NBA and all other big sports stories as well as the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.

And there’s more: check out our TikTok and Instagram reels for bite-sized visual takes on all the biggest soccer news and insights.