Vinicius Junior proves his worth as Real Madrid extend Champions League win streak despite inconsistent attack

With nearly 30 shots, a goal from Jude Bellingham and a victory, a quick glance would make it seem like Real Madrid’s 1-0 win against Juventus in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday was a simple job well done as their near-perfect start to the season continues. The actual 90 minute experience, though, was a mixed bag for Los Blancos, who swapped efficiency for unevenness in a performance that was ultimately a balance of lucky and unlucky moments.

The good news for Xabi Alonso’s side is that the manager’s personnel choices paid off, even if the reward felt like something out of Carlo Ancelotti’s version of Real Madrid than the new look Alonso is trying to instill. Vinicius Junior has almost been relegated to a secondary role for Los Blancos these days as Alonso rotates through his options but in the moment the team finally broke through and bagged the game’s lone goal, it was because Vinicius‘ individual brilliance was on full display. He did not receive credit for a goal or an assist but he did just about everything else, expertly outmaneuvering a handful of Juventus defenders and finding a hint of space to take a nearly perfect shot that ended up hitting the goalpost. Bellingham pounced to ensure Vinicius’ work was not in vain, and that the most excellent moment of the match was not wasted.

It might be enough for Vinicius to regain his status as a central figure in Real Madrid’s attack in time for Sunday’s Clasico, even if the honor of being the focal point has been reserved for Kylian Mbappe. His growing habit of turning up when Los Blancos need him most, though, is an important antidote to the team’s overall performance on Wednesday, which was especially drab in the first half.

Juventus’ defense managed to shut out Alonso’s side completely before the break as Madrid put just four of their 14 shots on target, the hosts’ star-studded attack stringing together very few meaningful chances. Between Madrid’s 14 shots in the first half and Juventus’ three, only two of those opportunities were taken from less than 10 yards away from the goal, the extremes of the visitors’ game plan apparent in the fact that Eder Militao led Los Blancos’ in shots in the first half with four.

The performance only reinforced the need for Vinnicius’ individual brilliance to break things up, though the openness of the second half was something Juventus provided to Real Madrid rather than the other way around. With the score 0-0 at the break, Igor Tudor’s side changed their approach completely – they went from three shots and 0.08 expected goals in the first half to 10 shots in the second. Naturally, it was a set-up that favored Alonso’s side – 14 second half shots is not much better than Juventus’ 10 but Madrid generated 1.74 expected goals along the way while the visitors were limited to just 0.51. The scoreline only favored Juventus as much as it did because goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio managed several impressive saves in the second half. Madrid did need Thibaut Courtois‘ help in the early stages of the second half, though, the teams sharing good luck and bad even if they did not share the points.

Even in the midst of an uninspiring performance, there is a hint of good news for Real Madrid in the short-term – there is no scenario in which Barcelona pose the same threat as Juventus, the high line a fixture of Hansi Flick’s style of play no matter the downsides. Wednesday’s narrow win, though, may have just provided a blueprint for different teams to cancel out Real Madrid’s all-star attack and hope the risk of an uber-defensive approach pays off for them, even if it did not for the Italian side in the Champions League.