3 days ago
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- Vinicius Junior shushed his critics with a dominant performance for Real Madrid in their La Liga clash against Osasuna
- The Brazilian winger, who narrowly missed out on winning the Ballon d'Or last month, notched a hat-trick for Madrid
- It was Vinicus' second hat-trick of the season after he earlier notched a treble against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League
Vinicius Junior showcased his continued goal-scoring prowess after the 2024 Ballon d'Or disappointment with a remarkable hat-trick against Osasuna.
The Real Madrid winger, who narrowly missed out on the prestigious award, notched his first goal after the half-hour mark before adding two more in the second half.
Source: UGC
Vinicius scores stunning goal
His first goal arrived at a crucial juncture for Los Blancos, who faced increasing scrutiny following a tough run of form marked by a heavy defeat to Barcelona and a surprise loss to AC Milan in the Champions League.
In the absence of Karim Benzema, Vinicius has stepped up as Madrid's offensive linchpin, taking the lead role in breaking down opposition defences.
According to Football Espana, four minutes past the half-hour mark, Vini Jr. connected with a pass from Jude Bellingham, skillfully carrying the ball forward.
With his usual flair, he attacked the Osasuna backline, feinted to shift the defence, and then launched a fierce shot that flew past the goalkeeper.
As if that was not enough, Vini changed gears in the second half and, from a quick counter initiated by Andriy Lunin, dribbled past the goalkeeper to score Madrid's third of the afternoon after Jude Bellingham had doubled the lead, per Footboom.
The 2024 Ballon d'Or runner-up was not done yet as he took a pass from Brahim Diaz in his stride and dummied the goalkeeper before letting off a rocket of a shot, which deflected into the back of the net for his hat-trick.
Vini continues to excel despite Ballon d'Or snub
This latest effort marked Vinicius’s fourth goal since narrowly losing the Ballon d’Or to Rodri—a testament to his form and determination to excel despite the setback.
His drive and decisive finishing continue to reinforce his position as Madrid’s central attacking figure.
Official results show Vini lost Ballon d'Or by small margin
Rodri's Ballon d'Or victory over Vinicius sparked debate, as fans questioned the fairness of the result.
Yet, the voting data presents a close race, with Rodri narrowly edging out Vinicius by just 41 points.
Rodri accumulated a total of 1,170 points, while Vinicius followed closely with 1,129, as cited by Legit.ng.
Reason why Vinicius lost Ballon d'Or
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that France Football’s chief editor has shed light on what might have hampered Vinicius' chances of winning the Ballon d'Or, which was ultimately awarded to Rodri.
Despite being a top contender due to his significant impact on Real Madrid last season, the Brazilian winger narrowly missed out on the prestigious accolade.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
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