Nightmare at the Bernabéu! Vinicius' drought drags on as Madrid pin hopes on the Clásico
The Vinicius Jr crisis is deepening. The Brazilian superstar, so often Real Madrid's spark, is stuck in the worst scoring drought of his career and the club is now looking to one fixture to rescue his season.
Details: According to Marca, via The Touchline, Vinicius Jr's difficult start to the season continues: the forward has scored just one goal for Real Madrid and Brazil combined and is experiencing his worst start under José Mourinho. Madrid are hoping the Clásico later this month can be the turning point.
The numbers paint a stark picture. Vinicius has found the net just once from 24 attempts in his opening eight appearances of 2026-27, with only a quarter of those shots even testing the goalkeeper, though he does have three assists to his name. The frustration spilled over at the Bernabéu, where sections of the crowd whistled him during the Champions League win over Inter Milan, prompting a public defense from Mourinho, who insists his best version is still to come. The winger's struggles have been linked to a lingering hangover from Brazil's painful World Cup final defeat, with Vinicius himself admitting after a friendly against Australia that he needs his confidence back. The tension peaked in the Madrid derby, where he was substituted early in the second half of the 2-1 defeat at the Metropolitano. Now, per Defensa Central, Mourinho is even ready to bench him for the trip to Villarreal on October 10 in a calculated bid to reset him before the season's first Clásico against Barcelona on October 25, which Madrid quietly view as the match that could reboot their number 7.
It's worth noting that this is a striking fall from grace for a player Madrid tied down with a lucrative contract extension running until 2032. Vinicius ended last season with five goals in his final six outings and 22 across all competitions, which makes his current return of one goal in eight all the more alarming for the club's hierarchy.
Reminder: He will match Mbappé and Vinicius! Real Madrid preparing a fantastic contract for world-class star.
Miguel Solomons
Dailysports's expert
