Real Madrid's crisis has been averted for the time being at least after they beat Osasuna 2-0 on Wednesday without Eden Hazard and Gareth Bale to go top of La Liga, reports AFP.
Hazard and Bale were among a number of players rested by coach Zinedine Zidane, with Real facing seven games in 21 days, the next of them against city rivals Atletico Madrid on Saturday.
Vinicius Junior, who has endured a difficult few months, filled the void, bending a shot into the top corner before crying tears of what presumably were a mixture of joy and relief.
This time last year the 19-year-old exploded onto the scene but injury and then a dip in form saw him drift, with this a chance to reassert himself in a much-rotated line-up. Vinicius had started the first two games of the season but none since, while he was without a goal himself in seven months.
His first under Zidane was a peach, coming in the 36th minute, a curling effort that took the slightest of deflections on its way into the top corner.
Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix (R) celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal during the La Liga match against RCD Mallorca in Mallorca on Wednesday. Photo: Collected
If Vinicius was Madrid's Brazilian sensation 12 months ago, Rodrygo might be one for the present.
The 18-year-old, who was bought from Santos in 2018 but joined last summer, added a superb second goal, and his first for the club, just one minute after coming off the bench for a remarkable debut.
"I'm glad for them," said Zidane. "Sometimes we forget they are 18 (and 19) years old. We have seen the emotion they felt about scoring at the Bernabeu. I liked Rodrygo's goal but I liked the control even more."
Earlier, Atletico's Alvaro Morata made a swift impact too but with less positive results after he was sent off eight minutes after being introduced as a substitute against Real Mallorca.
Atletico were already 2-0 up thanks to goals from Diego Costa and Joao Felix but Morata will now be suspended for the derby at the Wanda Metropolitano.
The Spaniard's dreadful night got worse as he also appeared to engage in a heated exchange
with a fan as he later left the stadium.
A week ago it would have been almost unthinkable that Atletico would play their rivals in a contest of first against second in La Liga but that could now be the setting this weekend, depending on Sevilla and Real Sociedad's results on Thursday.
La Real beat Atletico, who were then held to a goalless draw by Celta Vigo, but by far the deeper sense of gloom had engulfed Zidane's side, after they were humbled 3-0 by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
That was Real's worst defeat under Zidane as coach and prompted questions about the Frenchman's future, with Jose Mourinho available and seemingly waiting in the wings.
Instead, back-to-back victories for the first time since Zidane came back in March have lifted the malaise and offered hope there is still life in this Madrid squad, despite the lack of change since the summer.
"We believe in what we do," Zidane said. "With humility and work you achieve a lot. This is just the start."
The only disappointment might have been the lack of a goal for Luka Jovic, who missed some excellent chances and then
did score, only to have it ruled out by VAR.
