Yan Diomande is the man of the moment at Real Madrid. The Ivorian lit up the Bernabeu again on Sunday, rifling home a world-class goal against Racing Santander in La Liga.
Diomande started on the left wing in the eighth round, with Vinicius Junior named among the substitutes.
He got on the scoresheet that day to hand his side the win. The same game, though, brought Vinicius a red card and a four-match ban.
That suspension ruled the Brazilian out against Sevilla and Barcelona, kept him sidelined again on Sunday against Racing Santander, and he will miss the upcoming trip to Valencia too.
Many feared Real Madrid's attack would suffer without Vinicius, especially with Diomande's patchy early-season form. Instead, the Ivorian has grabbed his chance with both hands.
Four La Liga games have brought Diomande three goals and an assist. Add a goal and two assists from his last two Champions League outings and the numbers speak for themselves.
Such a run has fuelled reports that Diomande could keep his starting spot ahead of Vinicius once the ban expires.
Hassan Al-Aidarous, commentating on the Real Madrid and Racing clash, summed up the mood after Diomande's stunner: "Rest in peace, Vinicius".
He went on: "This is the state of what the Real Madrid fans are saying now after Diomande's brilliance in the absence of Vinicius".
Diomande may have stuttered at the start of the campaign, but he has since clicked into gear. In 14 appearances overall, he has scored four goals and set up four more.






