Vinícius Júnior revealed that his emotional “crying” celebration following a goal in Real Madrid‘s 2-1 victory over Manchester City on Tuesday was a jab at City fans who displayed a “stop crying your heart out” banner last season.
The talented forward netted twice in the round-of-16 second leg, successfully converting a penalty in the 22nd minute and scoring again in stoppage time, helping Madrid secure a spot in the Champions League quarterfinals with a 5-1 aggregate win.
During their February 2025 encounter, Manchester fans displayed a banner featuring midfielder Rodri, who had won the Ballon d’Or over Vinícius.
After missing a penalty in the first leg, Vinícius redeemed himself by sending goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma the wrong way with his penalty on Tuesday. He celebrated by posing, leaning on the corner flag, and performing an extended “crying” gesture with both hands.
“Football is great like that; there’s always another chance,” Vinícius stated to Movistar post-match. “We’ve triumphed here, and we’re through to the quarterfinals.”
Television coverage later captured Vinícius gesturing “4-0” to the Etihad Stadium crowd, reflecting Madrid’s aggregate score at that moment.
The Brazil international had a dynamic performance, with another goal disallowed in the second half, totaling seven shots, three of which were on target, and an expected goals (xG) rating of 2.58.
“This match is vital for our confidence,” Vinícius remarked to Movistar. “Since the start of the season, we’ve had several good games, but this one was a testament to our control.”
“We understood what needed to be done: work hard and seize our opportunities, even if I squandered a few!”
Vinícius expressed a desire for Federico Valverde to take the penalty, as the Brazilian had missed his opportunity at the Bernabéu, where Valverde had previously scored a hat trick.
“I wanted Fede to take it last week, but he opted out, and I missed,” Vinícius explained. “Today, I asked him again, but he chose to energize me as captain, allowing me to score and assist the team.”
Madrid’s goalie Thibaut Courtois was substituted at half-time for Andriy Lunin. However, coach Álvaro Arbeloa downplayed injury concerns prior to Sunday’s derby against Atlético Madrid in LaLiga.
“It was purely precautionary,” Arbeloa stated in an interview with Movistar. “He experienced slight discomfort, and we wanted to avoid any risk. I expect he’ll be available for us on Sunday.”