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"Stop crying your heart out", that's what the big banner read, which Manchester City fans showcased during the Champions League clash against Real Madrid at Etihad on Tuesday. The poster featured Rodri along with his Balon d'Or trophy, but the words were for Vinicius Jr., who famously lost the trophy to the City Midfielder in 2024. Talking about the sign following the culmination of the game, Vinicius stated that it only motivated him to produce his best on the field. As it turns out, Vinicius troubled the Man City defenders throughout the game and assisted Real Madrid's winning goal, scored by Jude Bellingham to take the score to 3-2 in the added time.
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Manchester City's Disrespectful Banner Motivated Vinicius Jr.
Vinicius Jr., who yet again came at the end of the home fans' attack, silenced the detractors in the best way possible. Vinicius looked sharp from the outset. He was cutting the defense wide open with ease and remained an unstoppable force till the end of the game. The Brazilian collected his moment just before the exclamation point, he rallied past the last defender and chipped over the goalkeeper to set up Jude Bellingham beautifully to score the winner. Bellingham made no mistake and gave the team the much-deserved lead in the dying minutes of the game.
There was no comeback from City following that and as it happened, Real Madrid registered a victory over their long-term rivals in leg one of the Champion League playoff games.
Following the culmination of the game, Vinicius revealed that the banner made by City fans charged him up and made it known that he thrives whenever the opposition fans mock him in such manner.
"I saw the banner from Man City fans - and it motivated me even more,’ Vinicius said. ‘Whenever rival fans do things, it gives me more strength to play a great game."
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Manchester City vs Real Madrid: The Tie is Wide Open
On the day, Real Madrid emerged victorious, but the tie is still very much open. City will enter Bernabeu with a one-goal deficit, and it could be asserted that yet another classic between these two European giants is in the offing. The city vs Madrid Leg 2 will be played on February 20, 2025.
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