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Vinicius Junior who was lost the Ballon d'Or to Rodri in 2024 had affirmed his fans that he will be giving his everything from the next matches to left no stone unturned. Vinicius Junior's hat-trick helped Real Madrid bounce back from two consecutive home defeats with a dominant 4-0 win over Osasuna in La Liga on Saturday.
"We won by a margin, we had a complete game in terms of work and effort, looking out for our team-mates, so I'm happy for the win that we needed. Madrid always have to win and we'd suffered two consecutive defeats." said Madrid forward Brahim Diaz in an interview with Real Madrid TV.
Crucial Victory
The victory was crucial for Carlo Ancelotti's side, who had been humbled by Barcelona in El Clásico and outplayed by AC Milan in the Champions League. With this confidence-boosting result, Madrid secured the three points at the Santiago Bernabéu, with Vinicius' impressive treble and Jude Bellingham's first goal of the season. Despite this, superstar Kylian Mbappé continued to struggle in front of goal, managing just one goal in his last seven appearances.
Additionally, Madrid were hit with more injury concerns, with Eder Militao and Rodrygo both being forced off, alongside Lucas Vazquez. Militao, in particular, was stretchered off in the first half after suffering an injury to his right knee. The Brazilian defender had missed a significant portion of last season due to a knee injury, and with other key players like David Alaba, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Dani Carvajal already sidelined, this setback was particularly concerning for Ancelotti.
The win helped Madrid close the gap to Barcelona to just six points at the top of La Liga, with the Catalans facing Real Sociedad on Sunday.
Brahim Diaz reflected on the performance, stating, "We won by a margin, we had a complete game in terms of work and effort, looking out for our team-mates, so I'm happy for the win that we needed. Madrid always have to win and we'd suffered two consecutive defeats... The fans deserved a victory, we can still give more, we are an incredible team."
Madrid's strong changes
Ancelotti made a tactical switch following the Milan defeat, bringing Rodrygo back into the starting lineup and returning to a 4-3-3 formation. Madrid opened the scoring in the 34th minute when Bellingham assisted Vinicius, who finished clinically at the near post. Bellingham, who had been key to Madrid's success last season, added a second goal with a superb lob after a precise long pass from Raul Asencio, who was making his debut after progressing through the youth ranks.
Vinicius completed his hat-trick in the second half, first rounding the Osasuna goalkeeper after a long ball from Andriy Lunin, who was filling in for the injured Thibaut Courtois. The Brazilian added a third goal after Diaz regained possession high up the pitch and set him up for an easy finish.
Mbappé was shifted to his preferred left-wing position after Vinicius was substituted but couldn't find the back of the net, as his struggles in front of goal continued. Nonetheless, Madrid held firm to secure a clean sheet, ending a run of nine goals conceded in their previous three home games.
Osasuna, who had started the match brightly, faded after Madrid opened the scoring. "We lacked intensity, rhythm... it was a game to forget," said Osasuna's Jon Moncayola after the match. "(It was) 4-0 and they could even have scored more."
