Vinicius Jr is in scary form - now imagine adding Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid's forward line! Six things we learned as Brazilian star bags late winner against AC Milan in enthralling friendly

Madrid would, of course, like to have hung on to both Vinicius and Karim Benzema. The dynamic duo have been vital to this side's success for the last three years, the two combining regularly to make Los Blancos one of the best attacking sides in Europe.

But Vinicius proved that he has a lot to offer alone here. Operating as more of an inside forward than a touchline winger, the Brazilian was deadly when Madrid sprung on the break. He ran in behind with regularity; he came short and scampered at defenders; and his tricks and flicks earned him an obligatory couple of kicks from frustrated defenders. This was Vinicius showing mere glimpses of his best, in 45 very promising minutes.

There is no replacing Benzema — although Madrid will certainly spend a lot of money trying. But Vinicius might just have been the more crucial player for this team. It could be a scary season for opposing right-backs yet again.

Manager Carlo Ancelotti promised Madrid would play around with a new set-up, and it was on full display here. Los Blancos started the contest in 4-4-2 diamond, with Bellingham as a No.10, and a trio of others rotating behind him.

And it wasn't always the most effective of systems. Although Madrid were composed as ever in the middle of the park, things weren't quite as smooth in the final third. Joselu and Brahim Diaz made for an odd attacking pairing in the first half. Rodrygo and Vinicius weren't firing for the first few minutes of the second, either.

The goals inevitably came, with Valverde and Vinicius leading the charge. But the new system, if this is to be the one, will take some getting used to for Ancelotti's men.

Ancelotti is tinkering a bit with this Madrid side, and it will take time to sort everything. But Bellingham was the clear focal point from minute one, occupying the space between the midfield and defensive lines.

And it looked like a dream role for the big-money signing. He had plenty of time to dribble and create, forcing the Milan defence to drop deep into their own box. There were some chances created for others here, too. He set up Eder Militao with a neat flick while he linked up with Diaz inside the box.

Bellingham will not be expected to score goals — although a few would certainly be nice. Instead, he will be a creative presence, the one to make things happen as Madrid glide forward. All he lacked on Sunday night were the finishing touches from those he passed to.

Pulisic never really managed to piece together an extended run of form at Chelsea. His best spell came at the end of the 2019-20 season, when the winger helped carry the struggling Blues to the Champions League during the strange Covid-altered period, and he hasn't hit those heights since. Sometimes distrusted by managerial chages, other times simply injured, Chelsea fans never really got to see what the American is capable of.

But now, he's been given a chance by Milan. Pulisic was impressive here, running at the leggy Lucas Vazquez, and causing problems down the left. He had a proper impact, too, assisting Tomori's opener with a fine delivery.

This wasn't a complete showing — Pulisic's influence waned at the end of the first half and into the second. Still, it was a promising sign that a change of scenery might have been exactly what the United States star needed.

Vinicius may have done his bit here, but Madrid still need a central striker. It is widely expected that the Spanish giants will get the Kylian Mbappe deal done at this point. PSG have made it clear that their star man is for sale, while Madrid clearly lack a goalscorer to play through the middle. And despite all of his neat runs and diligent pressing, Joselu is not the goalscoring machine they need.

Watching this, it was apparent just how impactful Mbappe could be. There was copious space to run into, countless angles to exploit. And when Vinicius and Rodrygo broke, it was easy to imagine how a third, even quicker, attacking player could make this team so deadly.

Mbappe won't come cheap, and he won't come soon, either — PSG will want to squeeze every last Euro out of the Spanish giants. But he is very much a necessary quantity for a team that is a world-class finisher away from being obvious Champions League favourites.

Madrid signed Arda Guler, AKA 'The Turkish Messi', to much fanfare, but this was an addition that didn't make too much sense. Madrid have an abundance of creative attacking players. Guler, excellent that he is, doesn't seem to offer anything different.

For dribbling and speed, they have Bellingham and Rodrygo. For incisive passes, they have Luka Modric. And for sheer quality, they have Vinicius. Add the likely arrival of Mbappe, and it's hard to see what exactly Guler can provide that Madrid don't already have.

And he wasn't given the chance to prove otherwise here. Diaz was preferred to him from the first minute, and when Ancelotti needed an attacking midfielder to bring on, he called on academy graduate Nico Paz. Guler will likely be on the pitch at some point — Ancelotti has promised that the teenager will stick around this season. Still, this seemed like an ideal contest for him to prove he belongs. It appears he will have to wait his turn.