“Changed the game completely” “Simply the best” - Fans thrilled by performance from Real Madrid star in big win over Espanyol

Fans lavished praise on Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Jr. after the Brazilian steered Los Blancos to glory in their La Liga match against Espanyol on Saturday (Sept. 21) at Santiago Bernabeu.

Real Madrid went 1-0 down nine minutes into the second half, courtesy of Thibaut Courtois' own goal (54'). However, Dani Carvajal restored balance quickly (58'), followed by goals from Rodrygo (75'), Vinicius Jr. (78') and Kylian Mbappe (90'), sealing a dominant 4-1 victory for the home side.

After coming on as a substitute in the 55th minute, Vinicius changed the game's trajectory. The Brazilian combined with compatriot Rodrygo to score Real Madrid's second goal. In the 78th minute, he latched on to an inch-perfect through ball from Mbappe, unleashing a shot to make it 3-1.

Fans on X (formerly Twitter) raved about the Brazilian super-sub, giving him Ballon d'Or shouts and comparing him with Mbappe and Endrick.

"Vinicius changed the game completely, Mbappe has to level up his game. His bad clinicality is destroying us. Endrick is great as RW too. One of the most exciting players !" a fan said.

"Life is just so simple with Vinícius Júnior. Sad that people who have been blessed with vision decide to be blinded by hate because he’s simply the best and most entertaining player in football. That’s a real Ballon d'Or winner," another wrote.

"Give Vini the ballon d'Or," another fan said.

"Vini deserved to start," another fan tweeted.

One fan also pointed out the fact that Real Madrid's first-half performance was seemingly below average, commenting:

"So much better when they went 1-0 down and Vini was subbed on. First half performances must improve though."

"Vini might have not been happy with the decision of benching him but I’m sure he now understands it was the best decision for him," another fan quipped.

"What a thrilling match! Kylian Mbappe was a force, nearly scoring multiple times! Shoutout to Vinicius and Rodrygo for some brilliant finishes. Tough luck for Courtois, but we rallied back strong!" one fan wrote.

The victory takes Real Madrid to 14 points on the La Liga 2024-25 table, just one point behind league leaders Barcelona. However, the Catalan giants have played one game less.

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Real Madrid legend Karim Benzema praises Vinicius Jr. after the latter wins Champions League 'Player of the Season'

Former Real Madrid frontman Karim Benzema congratulated Vinicius Jr. after the latter secured the 2023-24 Champions League 'Player of the Season' award.

Vinicius Jr. was one of the strongest performers for Los Blancos last season, recording 24 goals and 11 assists in 39 appearances across competitions. The Brazilian was particularly effective in the Champions League, where he scored six and set up five more in 10 games.

Benzema commented on Vinicius Jr.'s Instagram post in which he was holding the award. The Frenchman wrote (via @MadridXtra):

"N1"

Vinicius Jr. is among the 30 nominees for the Ballon d'Or 2024 and is touted by many to win the award on Oct. 28 at Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.