Vinicius Junior issues Real Madrid rally cry ahead of Man City clash

Real Madrid were delighted to win at Celta Vigo on Friday, but attention has turned quickly to their next match, which happens to be the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 tie against Manchester City at the Bernabeu.

Real Madrid are aiming to win the competition for the 16th time in their history, although they are underdogs for the upcoming tie – especially given that Man City won at the Bernabeu earlier this season in the league phase.

Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham are expected to miss Wednesday’s match, which means that much of the attacking imputes will fall on the shoulders of Vinicius Junior. As per Real Madrid TV (via MD), he is very much looking forward to the challenge of facing Man City again, although he has made it clear that the club’s supporters must be behind the players.

“We need our best version in the round of 16 against a very difficult opponent like Manchester City but we are playing at home, in front of our fans, with the support of everyone. We need a lot from them in a season in which we have had difficult games, but we also have to bring out our best version on the pitch.

Vinicius: I was tired against Celta

Vinicius was speaking to RMTV in the aftermath of the victory over Celta on Friday, and he admitted that fatigue played a part in his under-par performance at Balaidos.

“Just today I was a bit tired. I’ve played a lot of games in the last few weeks but you have to be prepared for good matches. It’s time to rest well at home for Wednesday, we have time, we have to recover well to play a good game and for the fans to be with us.

Vinicius has been in exemplary form over the last couple of months, and Real Madrid will certainly need him at his best against Man City if Real Madrid are to give themselves the best chance of progressing to the Champions League quarter-finals.