Vinicius Jr's 'smile' is back! Xabi Alonso confirms talks over substitute role after Real Madrid star was benched against Marseille

The Vinicius case is disrupting Real Madrid’s early-season rhythm, as the Brazilian, who only last year was considered a potential Ballon d’Or winner, has now started on the bench in two of the club’s opening five matches. Against Marseille, he left the Bernabeu pitch visibly frustrated and was the first player to walk off, while Kylian Mbappe once again dominated the headlines with penalties that sealed the deal for Madrid.

Madrid boss Alonso admitted he held back from a discussion the day after the Marseille match, choosing instead to wait until training the following day. 

"Yesterday wasn’t the time to talk to Vinicius," the coach explained on Friday. "But today he had a better smile and was more positive. I spoke to him and ended up doing some individualised things with him during training. We’ll see tomorrow."

Vini’s shift from being Madrid’s franchise player to a rotational option has been star, and with Mbappe scoring six goals in five matches, making him the focal point of Alonso’s system, while Rodrygo has been favoured on the left wing. For Vinicius, this represents an uncomfortable adjustment, with his face and body language at Marseille reflecting his unease. Alonso, however, insisted that “there are many important players in this squad. Vinicius is one of them, Jude [Bellingham], Fede [Valverde], Aurelien [Tchouameni], Dean [Huijsen], Arda [Guler]… I want the whole team to feel important. Everyone is in this boat, and we need everyone to pull in the same direction.”

Madrid’s focus now shifts to Espanyol, who arrive at the Bernabeu in strong form. The Catalans sit third in La Liga with 10 points from their opening four matches, including wins over Atletico Madrid, Osasuna and Mallorca. They stunned Los Blancos 1-0 in February and, though without a Bernabeu victory since 1996, have confidence under new ownership and signings such as Tyrhys Dolan and goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic. For Alonso, the question remains whether Vinicius is trusted to start or left to battle his way back.

Madrid enter the weekend two points clear at the top of La Liga after five consecutive wins in all competitions, but squad management is already a pressing issue. With Trent Alexander-Arnold sidelined through injury and Mbappe carrying the scoring load, Alonso must decide whether to restore Vinicius against Espanyol or continue easing him into a secondary role. The Brazilian’s reaction in the coming weeks could define both his season and the balance of Madrid’s attacking trio.