As if blessed by the gods, November 26 last year was one of the last times Vinicius Junior looked truly electrifying. In Real Madrid’s 4-3 victory over Olympiacos in Athens – the same city he returns to today, this time to face AEK – Vini systematically tore the Greek side apart and provided two assists for Kylian Mbappé. The second came after he twisted Panagiotis Retsos inside out, leaving the defender with the kind of nightmares in which he is still chasing the Brazilian.

More than a year has passed. And little of it has been good for Vini. The Champions League offers him a refuge from his four-game LaLiga suspension, but he squandered his first opportunity in Rome. He cannot afford to waste another.

The threat posed by Diomande to his previously unquestioned authority on the left wing is becoming increasingly obvious. The Ivorian has scored spectacular goals from that position in three of his last four games – against Sevilla, Leipzig and Racing Santander – and impressed in the other, El Clásico, despite failing to score. The pressure on Madrid’s No. 7 is mounting.

Why are Vinicius Junior’s numbers declining?

Mourinho made it clear when asked about Vini that being considered “untouchable” is something a player must earn through performances. And by any measure, the Brazilian has had a disappointing year.

His greatest weapon, his dribbling, is no longer delivering. He completes a successful dribble every 28 minutes, compared with every 25 minutes for Mbappé, who relies more on pace and runs into space than on beating defenders. Diomande, whose playing style most closely resembles the Brazilian’s, manages one every 17 minutes.

It is a sign of a player lacking sharpness and confidence – two qualities that have rarely deserted Vinicius.

His lack of goals is becoming a serious problem, too. He has taken 27 shots for just one goal, scored against Real Sociedad back in August. Jude Bellingham has scored four times from the same number of attempts. Arda Güler has three goals from 25 shots, while Diomande has scored four from just 17 attempts. Vinicius’s finishing is simply not what it used to be.

Even so, Madrid and Mourinho remain firmly behind the Brazilian forward, who, as yesterday’s training session showed, has not lost his smile despite his uncertain situation.

He remains an enormously valuable asset to the club, and Madrid are determined to help him rediscover his devastating best. The version that lit up Athens in November 2025.

There is no panic behind the scenes, partly because Diomande has demonstrated that he is equally comfortable on the right wing, and partly because there is still time to find solutions. Mourinho has also shown with Güler and Bernardo that he is willing to experiment with less conventional approaches.

Why are Arda Güler and Aurélien Tchouaméni missing against AEK?

Madrid are hoping Vinicius can find a few more gears, while Güler and Aurélien Tchouaméni have been given a chance to recharge their batteries.

Both are physically fit, but Mourinho has decided to rest them and leave them out of the trip to Athens, with an eye on the upcoming visit to Mestalla. That LaLiga game offers three crucial points, potentially made even more valuable by Sunday’s meeting between Atlético Madrid and Barcelona.

The AEK game will also see Federico Valverde return to action after sitting out the trip to El Sardinero because of hamstring discomfort stemming from El Clásico.

The Uruguayan has been one of the driving forces behind a Madrid side that is gathering serious momentum. Now Vinicius needs to get on board.

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