However, Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso doesn’t see the incident as a major issue.
Vinicius Junior was in fine form against Barcelona, constantly tormenting the opposition defense. But in the second half, Alonso decided to substitute him — a move the Brazilian forward clearly didn’t take well. Frustrated, Vinicius reacted angrily as he left the pitch.
The winger’s reaction after being substituted quickly became a talking point among fans and media. Addressing the matter, Alonso said he plans to speak with Vinicius about it.
At the Santiago Bernabéu on Sunday, Real Madrid claimed a thrilling 2-1 victory over Barcelona in a tense and emotional El Clásico. Vinicius played a key role in Madrid’s second goal — his lofted cross from the byline was met by Éder Militão’s header, allowing Jude Bellingham to easily slot the ball into an open net.
In the 72nd minute, Alonso replaced Vinicius with fellow Brazilian Rodrygo. The forward initially gestured in disbelief, seemingly asking if he was really being subbed off. Moments later, he walked off shouting and smiling sarcastically before heading straight down the tunnel.
Vinicius did return to the bench later, but tensions flared again after the final whistle when players from both sides clashed. The Brazilian was seen exchanging words with Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and received a yellow card during the scuffle.
Despite the incident, Alonso praised Vinicius for his performance and confirmed he would discuss the matter privately.
“I’ll focus on the many positives from the match and on Viní’s strong performance,” Alonso said. “Of course, we’ll talk about what happened, but I don’t want to take attention away from what really matters.”
“We’ll speak about it… Viní contributed a lot. This was an important and well-deserved win for us.”
With this victory over their archrivals, Real Madrid strengthened their grip at the top of La Liga. The team now sits on 27 points from 10 matches — five points clear of defending champions Barcelona, who are second with 22.
