The Real Madrid forward earned the final laugh, but Manchester City was encouraged by a sign mocking Vinicius Jr.
Vinicius Jr. claimed that he was inspired to improve after he heard a Manchester City fan make fun of him before the Champions League match at the Etihad.
Fans in the South Stand hoisted up a large banner that read, “Stop crying your heart out,” by Oasis, as the teams emerged for their play-off opener. The Spanish player became the first City player to win the most coveted individual award in the game, and Blues were quite proud of him for this accomplishment. It was considered impolite of Real Madrid to miss the awards when they knew Vinicius would not win.
The placard gave Vinicius an additional push in addition to igniting the enthusiasm of the home crowd for the game. The Brazilian attacker helped set up two goals and was a continual threat to City’s defending. Brahim Diaz scored the game’s second goal after Ederson stopped his attempt. Jude Bellingham subsequently scored the game-winning goal in extra time after Diaz pushed the ball past the City goalie.
After the game, what did the 24-year-old say on television? “I was inspired to do more after seeing the banner from Man City supporters.” I want to give it my all when I see other fans doing stuff.
Carlo Ancelotti had many positive things to say about his back four players while discussing his team. He said that they had never played together, much less trained together. In another thrilling match between these two sides, he also believed Vinicius offered them more motivation.
“Looking at the game, I’m not sure if Vini saw that sign, but if he did, it has been a huge source of motivation for him,” he said. “The entire front four has been extremely dangerous today at all times.”
